


Fire and Soul

by assortedlemons



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Abuse, Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avatar the Last Airbender, Bending (Avatar), Childhood Friends, Earth Kingdom, Earthbending, Fire Nation, Healing, Hurt, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Original Character(s), Past Child Abuse, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, War, Water tribe, Waterbending, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, fire bending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:48:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26415193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/assortedlemons/pseuds/assortedlemons
Summary: Umi is a gift from Agni itself. Zuko has the fate of his country on his shoulder. Together they will shape the future of their country and the world. But first they need to get pass the lies and mistrust.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

Umi eyes her third drink with determination. The last two were strong, but not enough to best her. She took another long sip of the drinking, nodding at the bartender in gratitude. She was very much enjoying the drink in her hand when General Iroh approached her.

“Oh, General Iroh, what brings this surprise visit,” she asks, still not putting down her tankard.

“Please, call me Iroh. It has been so long since I’ve seen you. Please, will you do me the honor of joining me for dinner to catch up?”

She finishes her drink and sighs at the discomfort in her stomach. “Well I am hungry. Sure, I’ll join you for dinner. Are you still traveling with the Prince?”

“I am. His bending has improved since the last time you saw him,” he proudly states.

Iroh offer his arm to her, one to be courteous and second to help her keep balance at her obvious drunkard state. She takes her arm and they leave her favorite bar.

“Umi, your tab,” the bartender yells after her.

“Just bill Prince Zuko,” she yells back, accompanied by Iroh’s laughter.

They walk towards the ship docks, talking about the latest world news.

“I’ve seen Bumi the other week,” she tells him.

“How is the King doing,” Iroh fondly asks.

She gives him a frown and groans, “Agni, I swear each meeting with him I’m left confused at his antics.”

Iroh chuckles at their mutual friend, “Yes, he is quite the wild sort is he not?”

She can clearly see the ship and the crew on the deck. She exhales deeply, and lowering her voice she tells Iroh, “I had an audience with your brother last month.”

Iroh glances to her, “Did you now.”

“He isn’t kind, _his majesty._ He asked me again,” she annoyingly says, rolling her eyes. “I declined like I did the last time and instead he asked me to train Azula. She wasn’t too keen on the suggestion. I only had one training session with her until she dismissed me. She didn’t like that I beat her in a simple sparring match.”

Her dual didn’t end well for her. Out of spite, Azula tried to banish Umi only to be stopped by Ozai. It was probably the first time her father favored someone other than her.

They arrived at the pier shortly after. Umi narrows her eyes at the metal ship. She’ll never say it out loud, but she distastes what her country has become. She has traveled Earth Kingdom and can see what their _enlighten_ ment has brought. And the two heirs of the crown will only add to the destruction. Azula is detached and cruel, and Zuko is hunting down the embodiment of peace.

And speak of the devil, here he comes, his signature scowl on his face.

“Uncle, what is _she_ doing here,” he yells at Iroh, venom in his voice when he mentions Umi.

“Nice to see you too, your _highness_ ,” Umi greets him, using the same venom Zuko had in his voice.

Iroh steps between the two teenagers, trying to ease the tension in the air. “Master Umi is here to join us for dinner, nephew. She is a guest and we will treat her as such.”

Without saying a word, Zuko stomps his way inside the ship. Iroh and Umi follow right after him.

“We can have dinner in my quarters,” Iroh steps aside next to a metal door. “Wait for us in here. I will tell the ship’s chef to send our supper here.”

Umi goes inside the room and nods at the retired General. It’s a small room, not something she thought a former General and once heir to a throne would be in. It is a simple, humble room. Though she didn’t expect his living space to be lavish. Zuko’s on the hand, she wonders if his room is decorated with Fire Nation emblems and propaganda. His bed is probably wrapped in the most expensive of silks.

“Spoiled brat,” she mutters under her breath. She pulls out a metal flask from her pocket and before she can enjoy the warm liquid the door opens and lo and behold, there he is, still with that angry look.

“There is a saying the longer your face remains like that it will eventually stay like that forever,” she tells him, narrowing her eyes.

“Drunk,” he coldly says to her. 

Ignoring his insult, she takes a drink of her favorite spirit and tells him, “I prefer the term liquor connoisseur. You should have some, it’ll loosen you up. Besides, I don’t get drunk. I run too hot to be inebriated.”

He scoffs at her and takes a step to her. She does the same. A playful teasing smile spreads on her face. She can’t help herself. It’s so easy to rile up the Fire Nation Prince.

“Do you think I’m hot, _Zuko_ ,” she asks him, saying his name in a sultry tone and trying to hold in her laughter at his reaction.

“Peasant,” he sneers, stepping away from her. His cheeks are still red and he tries to hide his demeanor but trips on his uncle’s rug. Umi is quick and grabs his arm and pulls him towards her, landing himself directly in front of her.

If it’s even possible, his scowl deepens and he pushes her away. The usual graceful Umi, trips too and falls on the bed with Zuko standing over her.

“You Highness, if you wanted me on a bed it should probably be yours and not your uncle’s,” she teases him, propping herself up on her elbows.

“Get over yourself. I wouldn’t lower myself,” he spits.

He moves away from her as she sits up. Neither of them say a word until Iroh returns with a cart of food rolling in behind him.

“Time to eat,” Iroh excitedly announces. Zuko is still in his funk, but not Umi. She can’t help but get pulled into Iroh’s cheerful aura.

She closes her eyes and smells the assortment of dishes, “It smells wonderful, General Iroh.”

They food is placed on the table and they take their seats; Zuko next to his uncle and Umi directly in front of him. They servants places the food in front of them, Iroh already told them what each preferred. The trio eat their food, Iroh and Umi occasionally talking about meaningless topics. When the two talk about the Fire Nation, Zuko looks up from his still full plate.

“You’ve been at the Palace,” he asks, wondering why she out of all people would be there.

He hasn’t made a sound since they started to eat. She was in the middle of placing the food in her mouth when he spoke. “Yes, a little over two months ago.”

He doesn’t say anything, just stares at her to continue. She takes the bite of the food she was holding and pats her mouth. “I wasn’t there for long. Maybe two or three days. His Majesty asked me to spar with Princess Azula.”

“You fought Azula,” Zuko asks in disbelief. He hasn’t seen his sister firebend since his banishment, but he has heard about how far she has advanced. Even before he left, Azula was a prodigy.

“Umi has became a Master since the last time you saw her, Prince Zuko,” Iroh says casually.

She chuckles warmly, “I wouldn’t have if weren’t for your teachings.”

“And did you win,” Zuko presses.

Her smile disappears and looked back to Zuko questioning gaze. “Yes. The training spars turned to an actual fight and for a while, your sister tried to kill me. When I won, she banished me, but the Fire Lord didn’t let her.”

There is one thing he knows for certain, no one can beat Azula. “Why did my father invite you there in first place,” he asks her.

She freezes at his question. She looks to Iroh, pleading with her eyes to help her.

Iroh loudly pats his stomach. “This was most wonderful. Master Umi, allow me to walk you back to…where exactly are you staying?”

She nervously laughs, raising her right arm and placing her hand behind her head, “About that. I’m not staying anywhere. I’ve just been traveling.”

Iroh eye’s widens as if she just said something utterly terrible. “That is no way for a lady to spend her nights. Please, stay here on the ship. At least for tonight. I insist.”

“Uncle,” Zuko shouts, getting up from the chair. “We are not letting her sleep here. She can just go back to the wilds.”

Iroh ignores his nephews shouts and guides Umi out his quarters. They follow deeper into the hall before halting in front of a similar door to his. “Please, make yourself at home.”

“Thank you, Iroh. For this and for saving me from that awful conversation.”

Iroh smiles at her, “Have good night’s sleep, Umi.”

The room isn’t special, just a standard small room equipped with a bed, desk, and a wardrobe.

“At least I’m not sleeping on the dirt this time,” she sighs. She removes her shirt and tosses to the side. Then bending over to remove her boots. When she stands up, the door busts open. The cold new air brushing her exposed back.

Zuko loudly gasps seeing her. Not because of the lack of clothes, but what covers her body. Umi closes her eyes, but doesn’t say anything. She continues like nothing happened and she reaches the shirt she thrown on the floor and puts it on.

She doesn’t turn to face him when she speaks, “What is it you want, Zuko?”

For a moment he is stunned. The image of her body still burnt in his mind. He forgets why he there and closes the door to leave. He walks absentmindedly to his own room. He remembers the last time he has seen her, almost two years ago. The last time they sparred, she had removed her top but her back wasn’t like this. Or was it? He can't remember her back scarred like that. They weren't scars from just training, normal scars from firebending training. Some look newer than others. 

He doesn't fall asleep easily tonight. He lies awake on top of his bed, wondering what happened to Umi.


	2. Chapter 2

“Please consider it, Umi.”

“Iroh, the Prince and I disagree on everything. He will make a terrible student.”

For the past hour, Iroh has been trying to convince Umi to help him with teaching Zuko. They were enjoying a nice breakfast on the deck before Iroh mentioned that Zuko needed a second teacher. At first she thought it was a joke because surely Iroh saw how much Zuko and her don’t get along. They were constantly at each other’s throats.

“He is confused. He is like you when I first met you. Just like how he is now, you were the same. You were lost and confused what your path was. You were angry all the time and had no control of your fire,” Iroh recounted.

“I’m nothing like that spoiled prince,” she mutters as not to offend said Prince’s uncle. She looks at him expecting him to defend Zuko. If he did hear her comment, he made no notion of it.

He isn’t wrong. When Umi and Iroh first crossed paths almost 3 years ago she had just escaped a training camp. She was 14 when she left that place, the youngest one there while the rest were soldiers in the Fire Nation army. She was taken there for innate ability to firebending. Where Azula was considered a prodigy, Umi was gift from Agni itself.

She found Iroh at the ruins of the Western Air Temple. He had found her unconscious but alive. Zuko was just banished by that time and didn’t want anything to distract him or his uncle from capturing the Avatar. Iroh carried the small 14 year old girl to their ship inside much to Zuko protests.

She didn’t wake up that morning or the next. On the third day, the young 13 year old Zuko went inside her room, which funny enough is the same room the current Umi was in last night. He stood there, staring at her. He didn’t see why his uncle decided to bring her along. They had a mission to do.

She let out a groan and moved.

Zuko froze in his place. Umi stirred in her sleeping state, the first sign of movement since being in here. He got closer to her, examining her face closer. She had hollow cheeks and pale lips, a testament of how long she has been on her own. Not that Zuko would know anyways. Her skin looked dull and worn. Yet, behind all of that, Zuko still thought she was a sight to see.

Her eyes popped open. She jumped to her feet, startling Zuko and forcing to jump away from her with a surprise look. Her eyes darted to him and the door. He tried to reach his hand to her, but she was in survival mode. As soon as his hand got near her, she took it and jumped over him, landing right behind him.

“Hey what—” Zuko struggled as she took that same hand she was holding and pulled the arm back, twisting and forcing him to knell.

Before Zuko can say anything else, he was pushed to the floor by a front kick. She yanked the door open and jumped to the hallway. She closed her eyes for a second. She knew it was day out, she can feel the Sun above her. She concentrated on the star, trying to find the quickest route to it. She opened her eyes when she felt a familiar warmth and dashed through the maze of metal hallways. A few crew members saw and tried to stop her but were knocked over by her agility. She can hear someone screaming at her to stop, but she ignored it. She had to make it outside; she needed to feel the Sun on her.

She saw a large man with heavy armor standing the middle of the hall, behind him she can see sunlight. She didn’t stop her advancement. She jumped on him, sliding her body around him with her legs around his head. She was like a snake as she spun around him, holding his neck with her legs to disorientate him. She hooked her arm around his neck and forcefully pulled him the ground, his head landing hard on the steel floor, knocking him unconscious.

She made a bee line to the ship’s deck. Her eyes widen in surprise when she went outside. She was in the middle of the ocean. She calculated her survival rate if she were to jump overboard. She then saw the five advancing men circling her. She changed her tactics. She can take control of the ship, or at least subdue most of the crew until she can find a rowboat. Surely a ship this size would have a dinghy at least.

The first two closest to her right prepared to attack her. She catches them drawing closer to her and sees one hand extended out with a bending stance. She anticipated his attack and she slid down between the opening of wide stance. Still on the floor, she spun her legs around and brought him down. The second man raised a sword to her. She jumps on her feet and dodges right as the sword swung down. Taking a risk, she brings her elbow down on the arm wielding the sword. It worked. He dropped the sword and Umi grabbed it mid air and with the hilt of the sword, she hit the man in the face. She can hear a snap of his nose breaking.

Two down, three to go.

She takes note of their stances. Two of them have wide stances, one leg further out in front while the other stayed behind their hip. Benders. The other wields a sword, but she can’t count him out as bender. The two benders punch the air and two blasts of fire target her. With her own bending she blocks out the incoming flames and rushes them, repeating the same maneuver she did back inside the ship. She brought one of the benders down just in time to see the other’s leg slice through the air and another flame heading her way. Using her bending, she propels herself high in the air and brings her hands together away from her chest and slashes the air diagonally and a sharp burst of flames slices down, separating the bender and the swordsman.

She lands back on the ship’s deck and faces not just the two she was fighting but now Zuko and Iroh. She has a craze look in her eyes, like an animal being cornered. She can feel her adrenaline wearing down.

“Please, we mean no harm,” Iroh says to her, but the screaming in her head telling her to leave blocks it out.

With one last push, she resorts to her last final attack.

Zuko stares in astonishment and jealousy as Umi moves her arms in a circular position, her index and middle fingers pointed out. She cuts through the air, feeling the unnatural energy going through her body. She aims her lightening filled hand at the group but at the last second, Iroh steps in front of her and grabs her hand and with his other hand guides the lightening outward to the sky.

She spent whatever was left of chi in that last attack. Her eye lids become heavy and the last thing she sees is ships floor as she falls forward.

“Have a healer go to her room,” Iroh barks out to the remaining crew.

He picks Umi up and carries her back in her room. Zuko follows after him, trying to ignore dozens of his crew lying in agony in the halls.

“Zuko, open the door,” Iroh orders.

Zuko steps in front of him and opens the door, letting himself go in first then Iroh then the healer who just arrived. Iroh places her in the bed, moving aside to let the healer take a look at her.

The healer moved her hand mere inches in front of her face then following it across her body to her feet. “She’s strong this one. Her awaken state caused her fight or flight response. She still wasn’t well, so she exasperated the still healing chi. She needs her body to rest. I doubt she will awake anytime soon.”

“What caused her sudden state,” Iroh asks, his eyes never taking of the strange girl.

The healer pulled her hand back and stood up to face him. “She must’ve been startled. Someone must’ve been in here when she woke up.” Her eyes dart to Zuko, knowing full well it was him. She saw him go inside Umi’s room right before the chaos. “Give her time and this time make sure no one is here when she does. I’m going to check on the others.”

The healer leaves the three alone. She doesn’t full trust the Fire Nation Prince, but she knows Iroh will stop him if he tries anything.

“Uncle, she bent lightening,” Zuko tells him in a quiet voice. “Who is she? What is she? She took down at least 15 of my men.”

Iroh eyed his nephew seriously, “And we were lucky she was still out of it. She would’ve taken all of us down.

“You know who she is. Don’t you?”

“Her name is Umi. Before we left, I sat in a war meeting and one of Ozai’s general spoke of a girl named Umi who showed promise. He said she is at camp to train her. I didn’t think she was this _young_.” He didn’t mention what Ozai said about her.

“We need to get her back then! She escaped and they are probably looking for her. I don’t need my father to have another excuse to prolong my banishment,” Zuko states.

“No,” Iroh yells, taking Zuko by surprise. His uncle never yelled at him before. “She will stay here until she is well enough.” He didn’t dare to leave this girl with his brother.

Zuko huffs with annoyance, “As soon as she is well I want her off my ship.”

He leaves the room, slamming the door on his way out. Iroh shakes his head at his nephew’s actions.

“Forgive my nephew. He isn’t the most welcoming of sort, but he is a gentle soul,” he talks to the sleeping girl. “Umi, I promise you will be safe here. I will not let them take you back to the Fire Nation. You’re safe here. You’re free.”

Another five days pass before Umi awakes. The crew she subdued are just now healing from their wounds. None of them like that the General allowed her to stay. They especially didn’t like that he ordered them not to harm her, but they didn’t protest to his order. When he sent the order, he had a dangerous cold look. The same look he had when he was the esteemed and feared Dragon of The West, General Iroh. 

Umi slowly wakes up. She slightly remembers what took place before. Not entirely, but enough to remember she is at sea. She remembers the faces of Iroh and Zuko, knowing their faces from her time in the Fire Nation capital. Umi lifts herself off the bed and takes in her surroundings. There are set of clothes on the chair by her bed along. Her body was still sore from all the walking she has done. She put on the new clothing, finding it to be a litter bigger than she would like.

She left the room and walked around the halls. Small moments came back to her. She remembers running these halls, charging at people while she tried to escape. She remembers the path she took to get the deck. This time she didn’t run her way there. The sunlight was blinding. She used her arm to cover her eyes.

“You’re awake, child,” Iroh walked over to her.

“Where am I,” Umi asked, still trying to block out the sunlight.

Iroh proceeded to tell her who they are and why there are at sea. He went through everything. He told her about Zuko’s banishment and their mission of capturing the Avatar. She winced at that. She has seen the propaganda against the Avatar; how the war was because the other nation’s leaders did not want their people to move ahead and share what her country had. What a bunch of a bullshit.

“Is there anywhere particular you are heading to?’

“No.”

“You are more than welcome to stay on board until you do.”

And she does. She sails with them for a full year. Zuko and her train together under Iroh. In their training, they become somewhat friends.

They shared meals together. They shared laughter. So when Umi left at the end of year, whatever friendship they built in that year was destroyed. Zuko saw it as just another person abandoning him. They ran into each other a few times afterwards. He grew envious on how powerful she was becoming and when word reached to him that she has become a Master, his dislike only grew.

“Will you consider it just for a moment,” Iroh asks again, pulling her away from the memoires.

She doesn’t say anything. Instead she focuses on Zuko practicing his fire bending on the deck with two sparring partners.

“Again,” Zuko yells after not perfecting a maneuver.

Umi has done this technique before, encircling an opponent in a ring of fire. She has performed this move countless of times, mastered it on the second attempt. She notices the tenseness of his shoulder, disallowing him to guide the flame forward.

“He’s too rigid,” she notes.

Iroh looks at Zuko, attempting the move for a fifth time. “Yes, he has an issue controlling his anger.”

“Anger is not the source of bending though.”

After failing the fifth try, Zuko turned and saw his uncle and Umi speaking amongst themselves, studying him.

“Think you can do any better,” he angrily asks, pointing the aggression to Umi.

She has dealt with his type many times all her life. Grown men have questioned her bending abilities and challenged her to multiple Agni Kai. She proved her worth each time, yet they always found a new way to doubt her. So when Zuko challenged her, she rose.

Umi walked to where his sparring partners were, shooing them away. She waited for him to make the first move, knowing full well his anger will get the better of him. And like predicted, he does. He throws several bursts of flames her way. She deflects each one, even controlling one blast and redirecting it back to him, a move he hasn’t been able to perform. He continues to throw each move he knew her way and each one misses her. She side steps and ducks each attack as if she was dancing, and Zuko notices it is the way the Avatar fought.

Zuko is panting hard. He is losing his stamina. Umi on the other hand is perfectly fine. If a person just entered to watch the fight, they would assume Umi just started. There was no sign that she was tired. Her breathing was completely even.

“You’re too tense and straight forward. Fire bending does not stop at creation. You don’t just throw it any direction because if you do, this happens,” she turns his body to show the small fires Zuko has started. “As a bender—as a _fire_ bender you need to guide your flames. You are in control of the flames.”

Then she flawless performs the move Zuko has been trying for the past hour. She traps him in a spiral of her flames, but in full control that it does not burn him. She walks to him, walking inside the tunnel of flames she has created.

“You need to let go of this anger, Zuko. Anger does not fuel these flames, but if it did…if I let my anger control my fire, this happens,” she concentrates on all the resentment she ever faced. All the mistreatment, her time at the training camp, Ozai, Azula, the war; she focuses it all in, letting the anger grow and boil. The flames start to lose control. The once calm fire has turned to untamed, erratic flames. Without thinking, he grabs hold of her arm out of panic and in that same moment the fire returns to it’s calm state. “With a quiet state of mind you will learn that that fire bending isn’t just a type of bending, but an extension of yourself and you will create this.” She closes her eyes and soon the flames around them changed different sort of colors. It didn’t last long. Umi exhaled and the flames subsided. Zuko notices she was actually tired. “It takes a lot of chi to create those type of flames,” she tells him, noticing his observation.

“When did you learn that,” he asks her. It wasn’t from jealously. He was curious. He has never seen that type of bending, not even from his uncle.

She gave him a half smile, her voice higher than her usual tone, “You learn things as you travel.”

Surprisingly, Zuko returned the smile. He still felt a tinge of envious at her advancement. His knew she became a Master, but he didn’t expect to see bending like that. His smile slowly started to turn to a frown. He felt inadequate. He felt weak. He had to struggle and push himself but not her. She was like Azula. Bending came easier for them both. They were born lucky.

Umi picked up on his mood change, and as if she can hear what he was thinking she absentmindedly placed her hand on his shoulder. He stiffened at the sudden touch. He tried to pull away but her grip only tightened. “You’re not weak, Zuko. It wasn’t easy for me to get here. You’re a strong bender, you just need to know what fire bending is at it’s core. That isn’t easy for anyone. Only a few benders have found it. Your uncle is being one. He’s a great teacher and I didn’t lie when I said I wouldn’t be at this level if it wasn’t for him.”

He stood there, his mouth slightly opened as he processed her words. Nobody has ever told him he was a strong bender. And besides his uncle and his mother, no one believed he can amount to anything more, not even himself.

She gave him one last squeeze and walked back to where Iroh was sitting with a knowing smile on his face.

“I see you met the Masters,” he told her.

She took her seat, returning to her forgotten meal. “I did. I hope he can one day learn from them.”

“You still care for him don’t you?”

Iroh knew all too well about Umi’s feelings towards his nephew. He saw how their relationship grew in that first year. Though he only observed Umi’s change of heart. Zuko was too focus on his drive to capture the Avatar to notice such things.

“And he hates me. I’m sure that door was permanently closed the second I left,” she sighs, trying not to remember the hurt look of Zuko’s face when she walked away. She wanted to turn back, but she knew she had to leave. “I can’t teach him, Iroh. I can’t teach him because I know I can and I know he would be great. And he will succeed in capturing him,” she said the last sentence quietly just in case there are curious ears.

Iroh looked back at Zuko as he returned to his practicing. He knows what it would mean if his brother got his hands on the Avatar. The fate of the word rests on Zuko. “He will choose good. I know it.”

“How can you be certain? I know he isn’t like his sister or father, but he isn’t like you. He is still on the line between dooming the world or saving it. It’s too much of a risk.”

“I know because I believe with you guiding him he will be free of it all. He won’t admit it, but he was devasted when you left. Whatever little light I saw in him was pushed down. But it’s still there, Umi. You can bring that light up again.”

She turned away from Iroh and looked back at Zuko with a pained heart. She would want nothing more to show him what their country is doing and take away his stupid notion that he needs to reclaim his honor and that somehow his father would welcome him back with loving arms. Yes, there is a risk that he will take her teachings and use to take away the last hope for peace, but if what Iroh says is true then maybe she can bring back his light.

“I’ll do it.”


	3. Chapter 3

He didn’t like it.

When he heard that she is going to stay and help Iroh train him he was livid. He didn’t need extra training, especially from her. He argued with uncle for hours that night, trying to change his mind with no avail. His uncle’s mind was set in stone.

_“I’m old, nephew. My bones aren’t the same anymore,”_ he told him.

Even though it was his ship he knew he couldn’t win with his uncle. He respected his judgement and if he says she is staying then she is staying.

She was already on the ship’s deck when he got there. She was only in her bindings, her scars more prominent in the sunlight. He wanted to ask her about them, but he didn’t it. Those questions are questions among friends and he was not friends with her, not anymore.

She was performing her morning katas. She didn’t say anything, just motioned her head over to him to join her. He stomped towards her, standing a few feet away from her and starts mimicking her stances.

“Where is my uncle,” he asked him after a few minutes.

“Sleeping in. He told me last night he wanted to catch up on some sleeping and asked me to start the day. I think he will be joining us later.” They performed their last stance, exhaling deeply when they straighten themselves. “Now time for the first lesson: breathing.”

“I can breathe,” he sneered.

“Clearly,” she returned his bitter tone with her own. “Your uncle went over what you learned so far with your breathing techniques and I think you’re ready to try something new.”

_“She thinks I’m ready,”_ Zuko asked himself. He was a bit proud that someone other his uncle thought he can be ready for anything. “What comes after breathing?”

She sat down, crossing her legs and looks at him to join her. He sat right in front of her, still a few a feet away. She huffed and scooted closer to him so that their knees were touching. He instantly tried to move but she stopped him, placing a hand on his knee. “For this part we need to be touching. Your chi needs to be connected to mine. Now close your eyes.”

He rolls his eyes and obeys her order.

“I want you to think of me and—”

“I’m not about to think of you,” he grunts annoyingly, opening his eyes to glare at her.

“Don’t interrupt me and close your damn eyes, Zuko.” He scoffs at her, but still closed his eyes. “Now like I was saying. I want you to think of me and feel us touching. Don’t think of it as physical. The goal is to try to feel my chi. Focus on my voice.”

He tries his best to do what she says but all he can think about is getting away from her.

“You need to let go of your anger. I wanted to do this as the first lesson based on your distaste for me,” she said with a concealed hurt tone. Zuko picked up on it but didn’t linger on it too much.

He tried to feel for her chi, but he couldn’t. His uncle always said his fire is fueled by emotion and right now anger is all that he is feeling. He was angry at her. They were friends. They confided in each other, sharing common stories of their parents; his mother was gone and her father was gone. They spent their days training and at night they laughed and joked like two goofy normal teenagers. In their little space they created, they weren’t a banished Prince or a war machine; they were just Zuko and Umi. And when she left everything turned bleak again.

“I’m sorry I left, Zuko,” she whispered as she felt what he was feeling and thinking. “I should’ve taken you with me. You would’ve loved it.”

She held back the tear trying to escape, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes.

“I know,” he whispered back.

And then he found her chi. It was warm but it cooled his body at the same time. It felt like drinking cold water in a hot day, the feeling of the liquid cooling his body as the water hydrated him.

Umi felt his chi the moment his found hers. It wasn’t the same as hers to him. For her, it was cold. There wasn’t a warmness to it. She knew why. He was held back. There was so much turmoil within himself.

She opened her eyes to look at him. He was relaxed. The stress and tension washed away as he entered a peaceful trance. She brought her hand in the middle of two and with the other grabbed his hand and placed it under her extended hand. She summoned a small flame and waited for his chi to connect to hers.

“It’s okay to go near it.”

He did. It felt like a sheer silk sheet was wrapping itself around the pair. He felt the heat of the fire she conjured. He felt the heat radiating to his face and for a second, he panicked. This is the first time a flame was close to him since the agni kai.

“Don’t be afraid. Let go.”

It was hard. He felt himself trying to be free of her chi, to run away, but her own chi grabbed tightly onto his. Now that there was a connection it was easy for her to find him. He welcomed it. It felt safe. It felt like when his mother would hold onto him when he was scared. It was comforting.

Umi felt him relax again and slowly she brought the flame to cover both of their hands.

“It’s one thing to feel the fire you created, but you can also feel the fire of others. Now, breathe as you do when you mediate. Don’t think of it as my flame, but ours. Fire is life, Zuko and this flame is created by life, our own life force.”

He inhaled deeply, allowing the energy of the flame enter him. As he inhaled the flame between them rose. He exhaled just as deep and the flame resided. At first he didn’t understand what she meant about life, then he felt it. Rather he heard it. It was a heartbeat.

Umi watched proudly. Honestly, she didn’t think he would be able to pull this off. She lied about this being part of his training, but she needed to know his intentions and see if what Iroh said was true. It wasn’t part of training. This was only for her. There are only a few people that can do this. It is like a human lie detector. A person can peak into another’s soul and see everything it deeply held in. Firebending is not like the other bendings. Earth, water, and air are already there. Benders do not need to conjure their element, they just guide what is already there. Firebending though comes from inside. It comes from their chi, their essence. They say Air Nomads were the most spiritual, but firebenders, with the right method, were even more in tune with the spirit. They can’t heal the physical like waterbenders, but they can heal the soul.

_“Yes, he does have a gentle soul,”_ she thought to herself.

She didn’t know it. She couldn’t have. But Zuko felt her soul too. He didn’t know what it was at first. He felt this odd sensation when her flame merged with him. He couldn’t make what it was. There was a glow to it, but behind it was a darkness. He was curious and wanted to see what it is, but an inherent human instinct warned him to stay away. He opened his eyes to meet her gaze then he looked around them.

“It’s already midday! How is it midday?!” He knows for a fact they started to practice at dawn. How did almost 4 hours pass without him noticing? He saw the crew going on about their daily duties, yelling at others, and the sound of the crashing waves below them. How did he not notice?

“And that concludes our practice for today. I’m hungry, let’s go eat.”

She walks away from him, heading back inside the ship surely to the mess hall. His uncle is next to the entry way, smiling and saying something to Umi that Zuko can’t hear. He sees her turn back to see him and then faces Iroh, giving him a short nod.

He stomps his way to him, about to demand what she was saying that caused her to look at him. Before he can even open his mouth, Iroh stops him and tells about him lunch. “It’s a great catch from what the cook said! I already invited Master Umi to join for us lunch.”

“Terrific.”

After he took a much needed bath and rest, he settled back in his quarters. He lit the four candles on the altar in front him and sat lotus position on a bench in front of it. He practiced his breathing, trying to calm his mind. Today was not easy on his stress. First Umi and her training method and the way she spoke to him…what she said.

“ _I should’ve taken you with me.”_

It pained him to hear say that. She was his friend, his only friend. He spent thinking about her months after she left and when she popped out of nowhere three days ago he couldn’t help but wonder what would the two of them become if she stayed. He admits he had a crush on the girl, but it was the first year of his banishment. There were too many things to do instead of trying to form a romantic relationship. Besides, he knew back then Umi didn’t feel the same. They were friends, only friends. But now?

She had definitely grown up. Her chocolate brown hair got longer, almost reaching her the middle of her back. She didn’t have that awkward body of young teenage girls. The roundness of her face is gone now replaced with a slender face suiting of her age. She filled out, her hips became wider, her legs longer, and there was curve along her figure, highlighted by the muscles she has gain over the years. Typical Fire Nation women, at least among the nobility, were thin and slender. It what was considered beautiful, but Umi was the complete opposite and it attracted Zuko.

He continued his mediation, trying to shed the thoughts of the firebender and ignore the ache in his heart. After a few minutes, his mind reached the desired state. With each inhale the flames grew and then relaxed as he exhaled. He did this for another seven reps until he heard a knock at the door.

“Enter,” he said, his eyes still closed.

Iroh opened the door, holding a map, and behind him stood Umi, smirking at the news Iroh had. He chose to remain at the doorframe, but Umi ignored it and walked inside Zuko’s quarter, settling with resting her back against the metal wall.

“The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar,” he said in a soft voice. Umi raised her eyebrows at the sudden calm demeanor.

Iroh looked at Umi, who was smirking and looking she was trying to hold in a laugh. She was only here to see how the prince will react. “Well, there is news,” he started in a shaky voice. “but you might not like it. Don’t get too upset.”

Still in his calm demeanor and his eyes closed he replied, “Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader.” Umi rolled her eyes and scoffed. Zuko ignored her and continued speaking, “Now whatever you have to say, I’m sure that I can take it.”

“Okay, then—we have no idea where he is.”

“Here we go,” Umi sighed.

“WHAT,” as Zuko shouted the flames from candles shot up to the ceiling. He stands to face his uncle and Umi, who now has an amused look on her face.

“You really should open a window in here,” she says as she fans herself with her hand.

“Give me the map.” He snatches the map from Iroh’s hand, looking at all the locations with reported sightings. It looks like a blind person ran a brush in different directions. “How am I going to find him, uncle? He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering.”

“Or he’s just a kid that has no idea where he is going,” Umi suggested, rolling her eyes again. “There are multiple sightings of his bison because he is trying to figure out the location he wants to be at but keeps going to the wrong ones. Now can we go eat? I’m starving.”

She walked away from him and Iroh, heading to the dining room reserved for Iroh and Zuko. She smiled to herself and with hopeful eyes she thought, “ _By the time Zuko figures at the general area that the Avatar is, hopefully he will be far away from us.”_

Iroh and Zuko followed her inside the dining room, Zuko walking with his signature stomp and a scowl on his face. She took her seat on the left side of the table, Iroh directly in front of her, and Zuko at the head of the table. A servant brought out a few appetizers along with glasses of wine.

“So, Master Umi, how are you liking your stay,” Iroh asks her.

She takes a sip of her wine and makes a mental note to request a bottle for herself. “Surprisingly, I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would. Then again, it beats sleeping in a sleeping bag out in a tent. Though I do miss laying under the stars.”

“It’s reminiscing of your time here with us two years ago,” the words left his mouth before he realized what he said. He heard Zuko sharply inhale, clearly upset at his uncle’s statement. Umi eyed her food, the brightness in her golden eyes gone.

He doesn’t think through things. He never does, as much as Iroh tells him. So when he speaks he didn’t think of what it might cause him or Umi to feel. “And then she will leave me in the dead of night without ever saying goodbye.”

The three of them sat there in silence. Iroh looked from Umi and Zuko, ready to jump in once they start to fight. Umi lets out an awkward cough in attempt to clear the tension that suddenly appeared in the room. She finishes her wine with one gulp and holds her glass up for the servant to grab it. “I’m going to need something stronger. Fire whisky would do.”

“I was never one for fire whisky truthfully. I can barely tolerate wine as it is. I prefer tea,” Iroh says, trying to change the subject. “Nephew, I recall you having a taste for fire whisky.”

“I try not to indulge in spirits. It plagues the mind,” he remarks, casting a judging stare at Umi as the servant brings her a glass of the liquor.

“Or it helps you forget,” she mutters under her breath. Iroh hearing this give her a sympathetic smile, knowing full well the memories she tries to forget. Zuko catches the smile on his face and wants to ask Umi what is wrong but decides not to. Those type of questions are too personal that only friends ask.

The chef enters the room and places the slab of wood with the cooked fish on it.

“The Avatar is in Kyoshi Island,” he announces, causing Umi to now take a sharp breath.

“The Avatar is on Kyoshi Island,” he yells, standing to his feet. He walks out of the room with a determine step. “Uncle, ready the rhinos. He’s not getting away from me this time.”

As he walks past his uncle, Iroh points the untouched fish and asks, “Are you going to finish that.”

“I was going to save it for later,” Zuko huffs and takes the food with him as he leaves.

“So much for dinner,” Umi annoyingly mutters.


	4. Chapter 4

“What if he gets him? You know I can’t let that happened.”

“He won’t.”

“He’ll doom us all.”

Iroh and Umi sat in his quarters. They will be making landfall soon and Zuko asked Umi to accompany him much to her protest. She pulled Iroh to the side and went to his room, arguing in hushed voices.

“You have seen it yourself, Umi. He will find the correct path.”

Umi pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a groan, “I told you, whatever light I saw was buried under the influence Ozai brought down.”

“Have faith in him. He will need you,” Iroh places a hand on her shoulder.

“Fine, I’ll go. Damn, you’re having me agreeing a lot lately.”

“Thank you. But you cannot hinder his mission now. He must learn on his own,” he warned.

There is a knock on the door, making the two stop their conversation immediately. In a quick motion, Iroh and Umi both sit on the red cushions, each with their own cup of tea.

“Uncle, where is Umi—Oh there you are. Come. We are about to touch land,” Zuko orders.

Umi bows to Iroh and thanks him for the tea and lovely conversation. As they leave Zuko asks what they were talking about but Umi dismisses it and changes the topic.

“I don’t like riding komodo rhinos. It makes my ass sore for days,” she declares.

“Your ass will be fine. Stop complaining,” he pulls her lower to the cargo bay where the other guards are already mounting the beasts. He stops in the front of the rhino behind the one he will be riding. “Take this one.”

She feels the ship stop to a halt and sees the bridge come down. She takes a deep, nervous breath as Zuko leads the group out.

“I want the Avatar alive,” he orders the group. He turns his head to look at Umi, who is the middle of rolling her eyes. “Stay close. Don’t underestimate the Avatar.”

“Whatever,” she mutters. She pulls out a flask and takes a sip of her favorite whisky.

“How can you drink at a time like this. I don’t need you drunk right now.”

“Shove it up your ass,” Umi retorts, taking another sip.

She has thought of every possible way to keep Zuko away from the Avatar, but all of them will be obvious of her intentions. The best thing she can hope is that the kid has enough sense to get himself and his friends out in time.

They stalk to the middle of the village. Umi thanks the spirits that people had enough sense to evacuate. She isn’t the type to attack innocent people, but she will defend herself if needed.

“Come out, Avatar! You can’t hide from me forever,” he yells out then orders his men to search for them. He sees that Umi didn’t move. “I gave you an order.”

“You don’t order me around and next time you try that, I will singe of your pants so everyone can see your honor in display,” she threatens. She doesn’t like people ordering her around. It reminded her too much of that camp. She pulls out her flask again as she feels a familiar heat rising from her center and takes another sip causing Zuko to scoff at her.

Despite what Zuko thinks, Umi is still fully aware of her surroundings. This is Kyoshi Island, famous for their warriors. She narrows her eyes and looks around the deserted village center.

“Something isn’t right. Be prepared,” she warns Zuko.

On cue, three Kyoshi Warriors jump from the rooftop and quickly take down the three Fire Nation soldiers ahead of them. One of the warriors rushes straight to Umi and Zuko. Umi doesn’t make attempt to stop her. This is the first time she has seen the Kyoshi Warriors fight and she is too interested to bother to fight.

The warrior charging sees that Umi isn’t showing signs of a threat, so she turns her attack to Zuko. She leaps up in the air, armed with her fans, and readies to strike the Prince. Zuko pulls the reigns of his mount and the rhino tails whips her across her chest and sends her flying to the ground. She lands hard on the snow-covered ground. Zuko raises his hand without hesitation he sends a blast of fire towards the girl. Umi quickly jumps off the rhino and is about to stop the blast from hitting her, but another warrior gets in front of the fallen one and blocks Zuko’s attack.

Umi sees another on the rooftop and watches as she comes down and kicks Zuko off the rhino, making land on the wooden planks of a building. Three warriors surround him as he lays on the prone on the ground. He spins on his hands, fire erupting from his feet. Each warrior falls, one lands inside the house and the other what first attacked him falls back on a wooden bean, her head meeting the hard surface first. There is one left standing. Zuko jumps to his feet and kicks another flame at the warrior’s feet, but the warrior dodges it. Zuko prepared for it and counters with another kick of flame, this one hitting the warrior on her legs and is knocked down.

Umi goes towards the girl that hit her head. “Easy now, you got hit two times.” She tries to help her up, but the warrior pushes her away. Umi ignores this and helps her to her feet. “You fought bravely.”

“Nice try, Avatar! But these little girls can’t save you,” Zuko taunts from the center of the town.

“Sexist pig,” Umi mutters, causing the warrior to laugh. “You would think after getting his ass handed to him not just by me and but by you all he wouldn’t say such idiotic things. Men. I’m Umi by the way. What’s yours?”

“Um Suki. Thank you…for helping me. I got it from here.”

“It’s an honor to meet a Kyoshi Warrior. He’s in a state right now. I’ll help you until you get a better sense of your balance. Like I said, you took a pretty hard hit to the head. I want to make sure you’re okay before you fan your way to him.”

Umi places Suki’s arm over her shoulder and they make their way behind the building. Another warrior is there and pushes Umi away from him.

“Get your dirty Fire Nation hands away from her.”

Umi, not bothered by the insults, tilts her head, and looks at the warrior. “You’re a guy.”

“It’s fine, Sokka. She helped me,” Suki tells him. “You better leave. I doubt he will be happy if he sees you’re helping the enemy.”

“Noted.” Before she leaves, she turns her attention to the teenage boy. “Sokka is it?” He cautiously nods his head, not trusting Umi. “You and the Avatar need to leave. Zuko will leave the village once he sees the Avatar flying out of here.”

“What?” Sokka blinks his eyes, amazed that a Fire Nation fighter is telling him to escape instead of burning him to a crisp.

“And stay away from ports. That’s how he knows where you are. Head straight to the Northern Tribe. Master Pakku can train him,” she tells him, causing Sokka’s mouth to hang open. “Now Suki, I gotta go and act like I’m helping Zuko fight off your warriors. And I’m sorry about the burning of your home. I’ll try to control the flames as best as I can.”

Umi runs back to join Zuko and quickly intercepts a warrior’s attack. Umi rushes the warrior, she sends a small blast of fire to separate the two but makes sure it does not hit the warrior. The warrior and Umi go hand to hand. The warrior pushes her razor sharp fan forward, aiming for Umi’s neck. Umi brings her arm up and pushes it aside and with the other arm she throws a punch straight the girls face. In the warrior’s stunned state, Umi sends a side kick making the warrior lose her balance. The warrior is skilled however. She regains her balance quickly and drops to the floor and swipes Umi’s leg and Umi falls on her back. She has only a second to react when the warrior brings down her golden fan to Umi. Umi kicks her legs up and with one leg, she hooks it around the warrior thigh and brings her down next to Umi. Umi elbows her face, she can hear the bones breaking and she mentally apologizes. She didn’t expect this fight to go on this long or be forced to defend her life. She turns her neck to look at the warrior and finds her knocked out. Umi stands up and picks up the metal fans. She grabs the warrior by her underarms and drags her away from the path and to a nearby building.

“You fought amazingly,” she says to the unconscious girl and carefully placing the fans on her lap.

She then places herself behind Zuko. He doesn’t say anything about her absence. He doesn’t say anything about the warrior she just fought and then moved to safety. But that will be something to deal with later. More warriors surround them, Suki among them. They go after each other while Zuko deals with the other two.

Umi doesn’t use her bending to fight her. It would be a dishonor to fight someone who can’t deflect flames. She is a master in hand to hand and she will fight Suki with that. Suki doesn’t go easy. Each kick and punch Umi throws, Suki returns it. Suki isn’t holding back. She knows she needs to make this fight real. She takes her fan and strikes it towards Umi, trying to slice her torso. Umi jumps back but Suki doesn’t stop. She is like a dancer as the fans move as if they are an extension of herself. A few of the swipes make it through and slices Umi’s arm. Not one for being on the defensive, she waits for Suki to thrust her fan again. Suki stabs through the air, her fan aim for Umi’s neck. Umi narrowly blocks it by quickly pushing Suki’s arm away with the back of her hand. With her right hand, Umi takes hold of Suki’s arm tightly and using her opponent’s body weight, Umi brings her hip to Suki’s side and flips her over. 

“I’m not holding back,” Umi says, panting, enjoying their fight. She spits the blood from the busted lip she received from her.

“I know. I’m not either,” Suki smiles as she stands to her feet, wiping off the blood on her forehead.

“You’re a great fighter, but I’m better.”

Suki sends a kick towards Umi. She steps to the side as her leg is about to make contact with her ribs. Umi grabs Suki’s leg before it reached it’s target. She pulls her leg forward, making Suki stumble forward. Umi turns her body and elbows Suki on the side of her abdomen.

“Sorry.” Umi pulls her a small bag of tea leaves and tosses it to Suki. “Drink this. It’s amazing on sore muscles. Once this is over, I hope we can have the pleasure to fight again.” She bows to her and goes back to join Zuko, who already took down his opponents. They look worse than Suki. Where Umi held back bending, Zuko didn’t. There are few burns on the warriors. She knows full well Zuko can hold his own without the use of firebending. There is no honor to this. They were basically just target practice for fire. She wanted to help them, but she had to keep a straight face.

“Little girls? Really, Zuko,” she asks him. “Don’t be a pig.”

“Did you bow to her?”

“She fought with honor. And don’t think I forgot that you tried to burn her while she was down.”

Umi looks around at the village in flames. She feels the heat radiating from her, the snow around her melting. Zuko and his soldiers caused this. And though she herself did not added to the flames, she played a part in the destruction just by being there with Zuko. She sees a family inside a burning building and without waiting to hear Zuko shout at her, she runs inside and helps the family get out.

“My arm got caught in a fallen bean,” the woman tells her.

“I’m so sorry. Your home didn’t deserve this,” Umi softly says. The small girl behind the woman starts to cry out, terrified of what is happening. Umi picks her up in her arms and the three make their way out the home. She places the child on the floor next to her mother.

“My dolly is in there,” the child cries.

“I’ll get it.”

Umi goes back inside the burning home. The flames getting hotter and uncontrollable. She tries to calm the flames, but there is too much. She can’t save the home. She grabs the doll and notices picture frames and what looks a like a wedding ring in front of an altar. She grabs the items but drops them as a beam engulfed in flames comes down and lands on her arm. She cries out as her skin starts to blister. She pushes the pain away and picks up the dropped items and runs out the building.

“She got a little burnt. I hope that’s okay,” she soothes the girl, wiping the tears from her face. She gives the rest of the items to the mother. “I grabbed these as well. I’m sorry I couldn’t get more.”

The woman pulls her in a strong embrace and thanks Umi. Umi takes out a small bottle of salve and hands it to her. “This can help with the burns. It’s my own creation. The ingredients are listed on the back. You can get most of here on the island, but the others are grown in the mainland. I’m sorry for your loss. This war has taken so much from us but with the Avatar it will be over soon.”

“But why are you with the people who attacked us,” the woman asks.

“Some battles are fought within.”

Just then there is water pouring out above them. Umi looks towards the source and her eyes widen as she sees the unagi with the Avatar on it’s head. The water puts out most of the flames. Still Umi goes to as many homes as she can to get people out to safety. With her bending, she directs the smoke away from the crowd so they won’t inhale the fumes. She is aware that Zuko is staring at her, and like before she will deal with that later.

When she made sure everyone was okay, she hands out the list of ingredients of her miracle salve. There a few who do not take the bottles, but after they learn it was she who helped the families escape the fire, they took it with smiles on their face. She sees a young child crying hysterically and in front of her is a woman lying on the ground with burn marks all over her body. She doesn’t have to go near her to know the woman has passed.

“I am sorry. Please, I will do everything I can do to help. I know it won’t bring back the things and people that were lost today. I am _so_ sorry,” she bows deeply to the people. “Your people did not deserve this injustice.”

She gives them one more apologetic smile and leaves to meet back with Zuko and the rest of the soldiers who are dosed with the salty water. Zuko looks miserable as most of the soldiers he brought are all mounted on a single rhino. She laughs at them, not caring for the daggers Zuko stares at her.

“Salt water isn’t good for the hair,” she mocks them.


	5. Chapter 5

Umi sat on her bed inside her quarters. They left Kyoshi Island 3 hours ago and have resumed sail. She has been avoiding Zuko since leaving Kyoshi Island. She knows he saw her. Iroh spent an hour lecturing her on her actions on the island. She then mentioned about the burn victims and how Suki was knocked prone and Zuko was about to attack her anyways. He said nothing.

She has refused dinner instead finding comfort in the latest bottle she swiped from the cook. The burn on her arm was worse than she originally thought. The burn spread to her shoulder. Iroh suggested going to the ship’s medic but she refused. She knows how to treat wounds. She expertly cleans and dressed her burns. With her salve, the skin will heal in a week. She was half done with the bottle when Zuko burst in her room.

“You mind explaining what you did back there,” he shouted her. Her exposed back was to him. She didn’t acknowledge his presence instead taking another chug of the bottle. “Are you just going sit here and drink?”

“Leave,” she says sharply.

Since leaving Iroh’s room, she has been sitting here at the same spot. Each passing minute she thought of the people that were hurt, the family she helped, and Suki. The image of her laying on the ground with a fire blast coming at her made Umi drown herself in her liquor. It was too familiar. It was too close to her heart. And it brought unwanted memories from her time at the camp to resurface.

“Why did you help the enemy? Why did you disobey my direct order!”

The room felt like it became fifteen degrees hotter. The wax from the candles started to melt without them being lit. Zuko can see smoke risking from Umi’s skin. She turned around and walked directly in front of him. There is a deadly fire in her eyes and it made Zuko take a step back. She moves close to him, like a lioness stalking her prey.

“The enemy? What enemy, _Zuko,_ ” the sound of his name drips with venom. Its dangerous. Its deadly. “The people of the homes you burned? The people that you and your men burned?”

“They were harboring the Avatar!”

“THEY WERE PROTECTING THEIR HOME.” The water basin started to boil. The moisture in the air evaporating. “We come in their home, a neutral zone might I add, and we start burning their village. We were the invaders”

“They attacked us first. And you helped one of them!” A small voice in his head is telling him to run. To run away from the danger in front of him.

“Yes and you were about to burn her while she laid on the ground unarmed! Did you see the fear in her eyes when her flame got close to her? Sounds familiar, Zuko?”

His heart drops. He stutters, his breathing uneven. “U-mi.”

“Let me help you remember,” she grabs his arm in a quick movement before he can even register what is happening. She twists his arm behind his back and forces him on his knees. Does she know this is cruel? Yes, but she doesn’t care. All she can think of is the camp, Suki, and burning homes. She steps in front of him and his eyes widen as Umi brings her hand up and a blue flame is summoned. No, she is beyond mad.

“Doesn’t feel nice, does it.”

The look on his face is filled fear. The same fear he felt when he faced his father. She disperses her flames and walks to her table, desperate to have another drink. Zuko doesn’t move from his position.

“A child was burned,” she says softly, pain in her voice. “She lost her mother in the attack. This isn’t war, Zuko. What happened there wasn’t war.”

“Umi,” he says softly. He knows full well what it means to lose a mother. He didn’t know his men would do that. He didn’t think it was even going to result to that much damage. Zuko can see how this is affecting her and whatever anger he felt before is washed away. He gets up and tries to reach out to her. Umi senses him getting close and her fury returns.

“Get out,” she hisses.

“You can’t kick me out of my own ship,” he tries to sum of some type of authority in his voice, but the fear he felt is still there.

“Get out of my sight, Zuko or I’ll show you exactly why your father fears me.”

That’s news to him. He didn’t think there was a person that made the Fire Lord scared. His curiosity peaks up, but he knows he can’t ask anything. Not when she looks like she is about to murder him. As soon as the door closes, Umi throws a bottle at the door and lets out a scream with fire bursting from her mouth. She lets the weight take her and her legs give up. She falls to the floor, no longer holding her tears.

Zuko, still shaken up from his encounter with Umi, walks to his uncle’s quarters. He is angry. He is terrified. Has she always been like that? No, how can he know? The last he seen her was two years ago. She was different now. The girl he became best friends with is gone. It was replaced with a girl that drinks and can summon the deadly blue fire his siter can do. He pushes the door of his uncle’s room with so much force it’s surprising that it didn’t break the hinges. Iroh doesn’t even flinch. His nephew storming in his room isn’t uncommon.

“I can’t believe her,” he shouts.

“Would you like some tea, nephew? It will clear the mind.” He doesn’t show it, but he is annoyed by his actions. He loves his nephew, but his temper tantrums are getting old.

“I don’t have time for tea, uncle! Umi. She disobeyed an order. I confronted her. She was drinking as she usually does. Fucking drunk.”

“Zuko!”

Zuko takes a step back. His uncle has never raised his voice. He stayed silent, waiting to hear what Iroh is going to say.

“Do not say such things when you don’t know the reason. Umi has her own reasons and she has own way to deal with such things,” he lectures.

“She summoned blue flames. Did you know she can do that?”

“She what? When?!”

Zuko raises his upper lip while narrowing his eyes. “Just now when I was in her room. Uncle, she dared to threaten me.”

Iroh drops his tea kettle, letting it break as it hits the floor. He pushes Zuko aside and runs to Umi’s room. He doesn’t bother knocking. He swings the door open and quickly closes it and locks it.

Umi won’t stop shaking. Everything in the room in singed from her uncontrollable bending. He doesn’t hesitate. He goes to her and takes her in his arms. He can feel her skin burning his skin, but he ignores the pain. The pain is nothing compared to the pain she is in. Umi won’t stop shaking, the tears and sobs increasing.

“She was lying there and the fire—the fire was getting close to her,” she said between sobs. “It was getting close to me.”

“Shh. It’s alright, my dear. That life isn’t yours anymore. Breathe, Umi. Focus on your breath. Let the flames calm down.”

Without thinking, Umi conjured a spiral of fire around them. It served as blanket it for her. It brought her comfort, but it was uncontrollable.

“Umi, you’re here. You are not there,” Iroh soothes her, his embrace tightening. 

The flames around them disappear. She stops shaking, her tears stop, her breathing evening out. She looks up to Iroh and slowly forms a small smile. He wipes the left over tears on her face.

“My child, you need to speak to someone about this.”

She shakes her head. She doesn’t want to talk to anyone. They won’t understand.

“You cannot go on like this, Umi.”

“I found them, Iroh,” she says quietly. “I found them.”

He doesn’t say anything. He knows what happened without her saying anything.

“It didn’t bring me peace. I didn’t feel when I did it. I still don’t.”

“I think it’s best you rest for a few days, Umi. There is a spare room next door to mine. It’s smaller than this one. Big enough for a bed and dresser but that’s it. Do you want to move your things there?”

“No. Thank you, but I want to stay here. I’m away from everyone and I don’t think I won’t be able to control myself,” she shutters. “But yes, tell him training is postponed for now. Honestly, I don’t think I will be able stop myself from killing him.” She lets out a laugh, but Iroh knows she speaks the truth.

“I’ll bring some dinner later. Call for me if you need anything else.”

She nods her head slowly. She stops suddenly and looks at her door. She can feel someone outside the door. She doesn’t have to guess who it could be. There is only one person insane enough to be near her right now. “Tell Zuko it isn’t polite to eavesdrop,” she mutters.

Iroh looks at her puzzled and when he leaves her room he indeed sees his nephew standing in front of the door. He blocks Zuko’s view into the room and shuts the door.

“Come, Prince Zuko. We have much to discuss.”

They walk back to Iroh’s room, neither saying a word. They don’t say anything when they enter the room. Iroh picks up the broken kettle, sighing sadly. It was favorite one.

“We need to stop at next port to replace it,” he says.

“Uncle, about Umi,” Zuko starts, but Iroh waves his hand.

“Not now, Zuko. Right now, leave her be,” he sharply tells him. The last thing Umi needs is his nephew breathing down her neck.

“No, I’m tired of her secrets and lies,” Zuko starts to argue. “She can’t go around making threats or aiding the enemy. It’ll mark her a traitor if she keeps this up.”

“Zuko,” he says his name in the same manner as before. “Don’t presume to know why Umi is the way she is. Much has changed since her departure.”

“And aiding the enemy? She helped those warriors that attack us. I saw her take one of them and helped to her feet. She even laughed and introduced herself.”

“Yes, she did. She also saw what was about to happen. What you almost did. And the people she helped? Did you know what happened to the victims? Did you know she suffered an injury while she helped them? It’s a nasty burn. I’m surprised you didn’t notice since you were watching her every movement.”

“The Avatar was there, Uncle. I had no choice,” he tries to reason, but he knows the burning of their homes were not necessary. He heard the screams of the children and wails of the parents as their homes burned. And he did notice the burn wound on her arm. Though at that moment, he was too upset to care.

“There is always a choice and Zuko, today you chose wrong.”

“Uncle…”

“Umi has her reasons. Get to know her again and she will tell you.”

Zuko lets out a frustrated sigh and goes to take a seat on one of Iroh’s armchairs. “I don’t know her anymore, Uncle. I don’t know how to talk to her. She changed so much.”

“She had grown and faced so much.”

“How do you know,” he looks up to Iroh. He hasn’t realized until now that his uncle happens to know an awful lot about Umi’s life. How did he know what Umi went through? How does he know so much? It hits him then. His uncle has been keeping in touch with her.

Iroh avoids his nephew’s intense questioning stare. “We have been corresponding for the past year and half.”

“She has been speaking with you?” His heart skips a beat. Zuko spend months trying to reach out to her. Not once did she ever wrote to him, but she kept in contact in his uncle. And he never told him. His uncle kept this hidden for more than a year. “Why didn’t she write to me?” His voice breaks and Iroh heart sinks.

“That is something she will share with you once she is ready. Be patient with her. She is not…in a good state of mind”

“She doesn’t like me anymore, does she? She doesn’t see me as a friend anymore,” his voice breaking again.

“It’s more complicated than that. She still cares for you, Zuko. In her letters she asked a lot about you.”

He feels a flutter in his stomach and his cheeks start to flush. He looked up at Iroh. There was hopeful gleam in his eyes. “She did?”

“Yes. Remember your birthday gift last year? The dual dao swords? It was from her. Her and Master Piandao forged the blades.” Iroh’s face softens as he watches the changing emotions on Zuko’s face.

He doesn’t know what to think. There are constantly fighting. Since her arrival, they haven’t had one civil conversation. It’s either shouting at each other or training. She would start the shouting matches and sometimes he did. And behind all that, she has sent him gifts? She asked about him? He bid his uncle goodnight and returns to his own room. He lies on his bed, looking up the ceiling. There are too many thoughts swirling in his head to let him fall asleep. He’s angry. He’s surprised. He is mourning.

The last thing he thinks before falling asleep is the possibility of being friends again.


	6. Chapter 6

They didn’t train for three days. For three days, Umi stayed in the safety of her rooms. She locked herself in there, only letting Iroh bring her food and letting only him enter. They don’t speak. He doesn’t say anything when he sees the empty bottles lying on the floor. He doesn’t say a word when he meets her cold, detached stare.

Each morning however he asks if she will be accompanying him for breakfast on the deck. She declined each time. The forth day arrives and she finally pushes herself of the bed. She doesn’t wait for Iroh to come greet her. She gathers a new set of clothes and walks out the door to the lavatories. She passes a few crew members but ignores their gazes and mutterings. She is sure Iroh and Zuko will know that she left her room.

“It’s good to see you again,” a voice tells her as she finishes getting ready.

She looks over her shoulder at the voice’s owner, a genuine smile on her face. “Good morning, Shang.”

Umi lets her eyes wonder over him. It doesn’t hurt to admire, right? He just finished his own shower, walking out with just a towel draping the lower part of his body. Shang catches her gaze and immediately blushes and hurriedly finds his shirt. He can’t look her in the eyes as he fumbles on what to say to her. “I umm missed you. I me— we all miss—ed you,” he stutters. “Music night yesterday was nice. I wished—I mean it would’ve been nice to umm hear your voice. Singing I mean.”

She turns away from him, rolling her eyes. Their conversations were always like this. She wasn’t oblivious. She knew that he got nervous talking to her and she has caught him many times looking dreamily at her. “Have you ate yet,” she asks him. “I’m starving and I was about to head to the mess hall.”

His heart flutters and the biggest smile spreads across his face. They shared meals before but never planned. They just happen to sit at the same table. It’s meaningless, but all the same his heart swells up. “Yes,” he abruptly shouts out causing Umi to raise her eyebrows at him. Smooth as always. “I mean I have to put on my armor but I’ll see you there?”

“Yeah, see you there.”

She leaves him so he can finish getting ready. He is already dressed and she didn’t have to leave really, but the poor man was sweating bullets. She navigates herself to the mess hall. A few soldiers greet her warmly, she exchanges a few words with some of them. She made a few friends here and a little pain goes to her heart knowing she is going to leave them. Making friends is easy for her, it’s the leaving that is hard.

The mess hall is crowded as always. The crew there are relaxing, it’s a place where they don’t have to worry about a certain prince breathing down their necks at every little thing they do. On one table, a group are arguing which method of pai sho is more efficient while another table are discussing variety of firebending techniques. A small smile forms on Umi’s face as she remembers the few moments she had at the camp where her and the other kids had a time to be themselves.

“What’s on the menu today,” she asks the cook.

“Rice and bread as always. I have your plate here already. It was going to be brought to your room, but since you’re already here,” he hands her the tray of food along with a cup of tea. “Enjoy your breakfast, Master Umi.”

She nods at the cook and goes to find a table off at the end of the mess hall. She releases a sigh of relief when she sees there is no one there. She was locked in her room for almost four days. It didn’t go unnoticed. The last thing she wants to answer questions. She ate her food in silence, never looking up at the wondering gazes thrown at her. She only took a few bites when Shang sat in front of her, followed by two others.

“Are you have another training with Prince Zuko,” Shang asks Umi.

She groans. She almost forgot that she is supposed to be training him. She paused their lessons since leaving Kyoshi and honestly, she still doesn’t want to see him let alone talk to him. “I suppose I have to,” she responds. “Not looking forward to his tantrums.”

The others look like they want to laugh. Their lips are tight, their cheeks turning red. To everyone’s surprise, it is Shang who starts to laugh. They look at him like he insulted the Fire Lord. It’s one thing to laugh at the Prince’s antics behind closed doors, but in front of his teacher is another thing entirely. But Shang knows Umi better than those around him. She has vented to him as he has done the same.

“At least you’ll have General Iroh there to stop you from killing him,” Shang says after he stops laughing.

Ming, one of the soldiers sitting with her, summons some courage and speaks up, “Umi, what made you teach him? I’ve seen how you are with him. You’re constantly on the verge of strangling him.”

“You’re not wrong. I have considered it multiple times. But I was promised a fine sum of money in exchange, and I just couldn’t pass on the offer.” It’s a lie, but it’s easier to believe that. She doesn’t like their fights, but Iroh believes he can change and a small part of her believes he will. “I don’t know how long I can last until I leave you all Prince-less. Though I don’t think that will be bad thing.”

They don’t look at her. They look down on their trays. They’re all thinking the same thing, but none will admit. Zuko was ruthless. He was spoiled and he treated his men like crap. They won’t be surprised if he couldn’t name even one of them.

“It’s okay to vent, you know,” Umi tells them, trying to get them to open up. “It’s not like I’m going to tell him that his men want to throw him overboard.”

They don’t say anything at first. They take a bite of their food, basking in the awkward silence. Until one breaks it.

“He’s a dick,” Kazu mutters. “I mean, how hard is it to acknowledge the hard work we do,” he starts, his voice getting louder, but not loud enough for the other mess hall occupants to hear. “Like back when we went to the Southern Water Tribe. We worked quick to melt the ice on the ship and he didn’t say one word.”

“I thought I was going to lose my balls when the ice went up to my waist,” Ming groans. He was one of the unfortunate souls to be trapped in ice from Katara. “When I was in the infirmary and the only one who checked up on me was General Iroh.”

“My father served under him. He said General Iroh treated everyone as his equal,” Shang told them.

“It’s a shame he didn’t take the crown instead,” Umi says, dropping her chopsticks on her tray. The men looked at her, their eyes wide and mouths open. She stares at them and shrugs her shoulder, “It’s not like we all aren’t thinking it. Come on, you honestly think we would still be in this fucking war, away from our families, if Iroh was sitting on the throne?”

It was Kazu who spoke up first, “Of course we all think that, but we can’t go around saying that! Umi, you have to be careful saying things like that out loud!”

“He’s right, Umi,” Ming joins in. His voice drops in a low whisper. “Ozai has spies. We don’t know if they’re on the ship. People have been killed for saying less.”

The rest of them nod in agreement.

“Whatever,” Umi rolls her eyes. “I don’t care. I love my country and I will gladly die for my country, but we all know things can be better. I mean look at our options, either the psycho daughter or the obsessive son.”

Shang lets out a nervous chuckle, “I rather have Zuko on the throne than Azula. The kid scares the shit out of me.”

They spend the rest of meals talking about their travels, their families, and just random things. Ming, Kazu, Shang, and Lieutenant Lee became her close friends. She found it easier to talk to them when she felt stressed. When she doesn’t want to drown herself in a sea of liquor, she goes to them.

They finish their meals and Shang gathers Umi’s tray to dispose of it. She thanks him and gathers her things. When he returns, Umi turns to face him to say goodbye when she sees a small piece of rice on the corner of his bottom lip. She takes her thumb and wipes it off, “You have some food on your lip.”

Shang’s cheek turn as red as the color of his armor. “Food. Yes. Thank you,” he fumbles on his words. His friends giggling at him behind him.

“Well boys, I’m off. Pray to the Spirits that I won’t kill him,” she waves at them and heads out to the deck. She can’t put it off any longer. She has responsibilities. When she steps out to the ship’s deck she sees Iroh sitting at a nearby table.

“Good morning, Master Umi,” Iroh greets.

She takes her seat and mumbles a greeting. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth the Sun provided.

“Umi,” a surprised voice comes up behind her. She doesn’t have to open her eyes to know it’s Zuko.

“Start your morning katas and practice the first five basics. No bending. Just the movements,” she tells him without opening her eyes.

He doesn’t argue, doesn’t even say a word. He walks to the middle of the deck and does what she asks.

Iroh and her make small conversation. He doesn’t mention her seclusion or remarks when Umi pulls out her flask. They finish their conversation and promise to make plans to meet later for a round of pai sho. She stands to her feet and walks towards Zuko.

“I don’t see why I need to go over the basics,” he groans as he repeats the same motions again.

“All advanced bending forms comes from the basics. You cannot go forward without them. Now, I want you to throw a regular fire blast,” she instructs.

Zuko rolls his eyes, but bends nevertheless. The form is flawless. His stance was near perfect.

“Again,” she orders.

He does it again, and again, and again. She keeps asking him to repeat it. He starts to feel annoyed and angry and just when he is about to yell she extends her hand out to stop him. He got to the point where she wanted him. After performing the move several times, Zuko finally reached to where it was just as normal as breathing.

“Now, watch what I do next.”

Umi begins with the same stance, but instead of punching the flame outward, she directs on the ground in front of her, curving the flame so rather is going straight down, it pushes out. What started as one blast divides into two. The twin flames separate, creating an oval outline, before meeting again at the end and joining to create a more powerful blast of fire.

“You try.”

Umi steps to the side to face him laterally. Zuko takes a deep breath and mimics the same technique as Umi. It isn’t exact, but it produces the same results at the end. Zuko, being him, is not satisfied at the results.

“It wasn’t as powerful,” he mutters. He does it again and again it produces the same force. He repeats it four times, all while Umi sadly looks at him. He yells out in irritation and looks back her. She changed her facial expression as soon as he yelled so he didn’t see the look of remorse on her face. “Why isn’t it like yours? I performed the same as yours perfectly. How come yours was so much stronger?”

“Zuko,” she sighs. “You’re holding—"

“Show me again,” he cuts her off.

She doesn’t want to but does it anyways. If anything the intensity of it grows and making Zuko angrier. He lets out an assault of cruses. Umi steps away from him feeling overwhelmed with his rising temper and annoyance and pulls out her flask. Zuko marches to her and slaps the flask off her hand causing the content to pour out. She glares at him with her fiery eyes, the same fire she had when they were on Kyoshi.

“Stop your drinking and show me again,” he yells at her.

“Fine! You want another demonstration! Watch closely, your highness,” she yells back and pushes him away from her.

Iroh gets up from his chair when he hears her outburst and quickly runs to Zuko and Umi, but it’s too late. Umi already started bending. He grabs Zuko by his shoulder and yanks him behind him, shielding him with his body. Zuko’s eyes widen in fear as the showcase of her bending.

Two massive balls of blue flames shoot out from her palm, encasing the entire deck. It blasts through the ship’s edges, shooting at least 80 yards across the sea. The metal of the ship’s railing is even melting. Behind her, the ends of Iroh’s shirt has caught on fire even although he was 20 feet away from her. There was a large hole on the deck where her the flame contacted it. Zuko couldn’t believe what he saw. Her form, her fire, it was noting he has ever seen before. And the intensity of it. He looked at the places where the ship has melted from the heat of her flames and then back at the bender who caused them.

She looks back at Zuko, pure hate in her gold eyes, “Lesson over.”

All eyes are on her as she walks back inside the ship. She goes straight to mess hall and grabs three bottles of liquor and goes to her room. She slams the door shut and walks over to her desk. There a few letters spread across the surfaces and a small box. She pops open the bottle, not bothering to pour it in a glass.

Nothing really of interest catches her eyes until the last scrolls buried underneath the others.

Suki.

Two days ago Umi wrote her a letter and sent her a package filled with funds to help her village rebuild. She didn’t expect for Suki to respond, she didn’t even expect her to read her letter.

_Umi,_

_I was surprise to hear from you. We all were. We want to thank you for the money you sent us as well as the extra healing salve. You were right. It healed the burns quickly, only leaving small scarring._

_We don’t blame you. You were the only one who helped us. You saved Lin and her daughter, even saving their possessions. She told me that you got burned in the process and yet you pulled out many of my people from their homes. It’s hard to believe someone from the Fire Nation would help us. I don’t fully understand why you are with them. Lin told us you said ‘some battles are fought within’. I don’t know you, but I trust that you are helping stop this war._

_Seeing Sokka and Katara helping Aang, as well as you, has me wanting to do more. Kyoshi remained neutral in this war, but I know there is more I can do to help. I want to play my part in stopping this war. The other Kyoshi Warriors have the same inspiration. So, you will help inside while I help outside._

_You said in your letter you wanted to be one of us when you were a child. You’re a skilled fighter. Not many can say they have beat me in a fight and I know you weren’t holding back. The parcel attached is a gift from all of us._

_Suki._

Umi tore up the box and in it were two golden metal war fans. She couldn’t help herself.

Umi reached for the fans, shakenly grasping the two. In a quick motion, she open the fans and got in a fighting stance. She went through the moves she has seen the warriors do, laughing like a child as she did them. She put her new fans down and fell happily on her bed. She got up after a few moments and went to sit at her desk. She pulled out some parchment and brush set.

_Suki,_

_Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. I am honored._

_I think it’s wonderful you want to join the war effort. I will be honest though; in my travels I was confronted by countless of small men who thought I was weak and inferior only because they saw a girl traveling alone. I was alone though, but you have your sisters. It won’t be easy, but there is nothing a group of skilled fighters can’t manage._

_There are few places under occupation that can use some help, but really assisting refugees get to Ba Sing Se will be the best course. The lands are not kind. They are filled with bandits and mercenaries paid by the crown to stop Earth Kingdom citizens and suppress the rebellion. Most of the refugees are the elderly, women, and children. They cannot defend themselves. I advise to go to these occupied villages and help the people escaping get to safety._

_I don’t know how much longer I will be staying on this ship. There is only so much time left before Sozin’s comet and I need to prepare and gather allies. The comet will decide which side will win this war. I pray to Agni that the Avatar will master the elements by then. I can’t begin to imagine the stress is weighing down him. He’s child for Spirit’s sake. Then again, look at us. We’re just kids fighting in this spirit forsaken war._

_When you begin your travels, head to Gao Ling. Look for Jiang at a tea shop named Spring Blossom. Hand him the pai sho tile I attached and tell him I sent you there. He will give you and the other warriors supplies and anything else you might need._

_I wish you good fortune in the battles to come._

_Until we meet again,_

_Umi._

She seals up the letter, along with the lotus tile and packages it up. With what happened this morning, they will be docking soon to make repairs. She will send the letter then. Umi goes through the rest of her mail. Nothing really of importance, just closed tabs from the countless bars she visited. She responded to each of them to send the bill to Prince Zuko. She picks up the last scroll with a royal seal tied around it.

_I received news about your current whereabouts._

She burns the scrolls and wipes the ashes off the table. She grabs a bottle and with a wave of her hand, extinguishes the lit candles illuminating her room. She tries not think about the training session or Ozai’s letter. She drinks until she can’t even remember her own name.

Sleep finally comes to her and doesn’t wake up until about seven hours later. She has a small headache, but nothing she can’t handle. She feels someone getting close to her door and then hears the gentle knocking on it. She goes to open it and finds Iroh, now with a clean, unburnt shirt.

“We docked to make repairs. We are going to be here for a while if you wanted to go into town,” he tells her.

She nods her head and thanks him. She grabs a small coin purse and follows him out. She passes Zuko and gives him a short nod to greet him. He opens his mouth to talk but closes it soon after. He unsure what to ask her. There are too many questions, but he will ask her when she is better.

“Care to join me,” she asks him. His mouth hangs open in surprise, confused by the offer but follows Iroh and Umi out the ship nonetheless.

The port is larger than most. Fire Nation occupied of course. It’s a more of a military naval port. There are soldiers walking around on leave, even children and family are stationed here. Umi feels a sting in her heart. She is aware this war isn’t agreed by some of her fellow countrymen. She met a few that opposed Ozai, but they knew the consequence if they deserted the army. If they left, their family will be dishonored and whatever lands and titles they held would be taken away. Those are the lucky ones. Most are just executed.

“I’m going to the post,” she announces. She leaves the two royals alone and makes her way to the center of the town to the mailing station.

“Hello, how can I be of an assistance,” the mailer greets her. “Oh Master Umi!”

She has been here few times and befriended the postman. He doesn’t ask questions of the locations she sends her letters.

“Good afternoon, Hui. I have a letter and a small package to sent out.” She goes to the counter and pulls out the scroll and small box with the lotus tile. “Suki of Kyoshi Island. My usual method of transport.”

Hui looks around to make sure his assistant isn’t near hearing range. “My contact is due to arrive in a day. The letter will be delivered in five days.”

“Thank you, Hui.” She drops four gold pieces on the counter for the risk he takes for her.

She leaves the shop and returns to the location she left Iroh and Zuko. She finds Zuko leaning against a wall of a nearby building. Iroh isn’t with them.

“Where is General Iroh,” she asks him, feeling uncomfortable being alone with him.

He looks annoyed. “He heard about a hot spring in the outskirts of town. He didn’t even say bye, just ran off to it.”

Surprising Zuko a third time today, she laughs. “Of course he did. He can’t resist a good soak.”

He joins her, letting out a small chuckle. “You should’ve seen him when we stopped at Whale Tail Island. All he heard that was a pai sho competition being held at a tea shop and he ran straight to it. I never seen him run so fast!”

“Yes, tea and pai sho will make that man run so fast it brings eel hounds to shame. Do you remember the time we hit a storm and his tea set broke? I never seen a man cry so much over a tea set.”

“We spent three weeks stopping at different ports looking for the exact matching set!” He’s laughing just as loudly as Umi. For a moment it feels like nothing changed. As if the last three years didn’t happen. Feeling like this, Zuko asked, “Are you hungry? There is this place that makes the best roasted duck I ever had and egg custard tart I swear it was made by the Spirits themselves.”

“You had me as roasted duck. Let’s go.”

The walk to the restaurant. There is more foot traffic than before and they get closer together. Their hand occasionally brush and Umi fights the urge to grab his. No matter how long it passed since she left, she still loved him. Her heart breaks each time they fight, especially today. She didn’t want to go with him, but his smile and laugh instantly changed her mind. She would do anything he asks if she can hear his laugh.

The restaurant is packed with people. Umi isn’t sure they will find a table. “Play the Prince card and get us a table,” she whispers to Zuko.

He smirk at her and goes to the host. He stands straight with that royalty flair that makes Umi weak at the knees. The host and him exchanged a few words for a brief moment then turning back to Umi, flashing a smile that almost makes Umi trip. The host leaves and a minute later returns and guides the teens to secluded table near the back. Umi blushes as she notices most of the people sitting here are couples.

“Master Umi, Prince Zuko,” the host bows. “A server will be with you soon.”

The host leaves them and they notice the intimate atmosphere. Umi doesn’t know what to say, she is as nervous as Zuko. Luckily a server comes to their table, saving Umi from saying anything awkward. Zuko orders for them both and now surprising Umi, orders two glasses of fire whisky.

“The whisky here is rich in flavor,” he tells her, flashing his bright smile at her.

“Iroh mentioned you had a taste for it.”

“You’ll love the duck. I wasn’t exaggerating. It’s really good,” he smiles at her.

“I’ll take your word then.”

They stare at each other, each trying to find something to talk about. Zuko has a billion of questions he wants to ask. And also, he just wants to talk to her. He wants to get to know her again. Umi on the other hand is fighting the urge to bolt. The longer they sit in silence, the worse her anxiety builds up. How many times had she thought about going out to lunch with just him when she was a girl and now she is living that dream. She is about to say something but at the last second a server and another man approach their table, saving her from saying anything that will embarrass her.

The host must’ve told the chef of their arrival because the chef himself and a server with their food are there. A server places their plates in front of them and then lights the candle between them with her finger. 

“Master Umi, Prince Zuko,” he bows at the pair. “You honor me by dining in my restaurant.”

“I have had your meals before, but this is the first time I set foot here,” Zuko tells the chef. “The meals are brought to me on my ship.”

“I am pleased to know you enjoy my culinary skills, Prince Zuko,” the chef bows to him. “Master Umi, Prince Zuko, please enjoy your meal.”

The chef and servers bow one more time and then leaves the pair. Umi isn’t used to this attention. She expects it from fire benders since she is a Master, but from not from civilians. It’s a bit of an ego boost and she actually likes it.

Umi takes a bite of the roast duck, moaning in pleasure at the taste. “You were right. This is amazing,” she says in between bites.

“Told you,” Zuko replies, taking a bite from his own plate.

“The candle is bit too much though,” she awkwardly says, not meeting his eyes.

“We should put it out.”

“It’ll be rude if we do.”

“It is a nice candle.”

“Leave it on?”

“Yes, we’ll leave it.”

They don’t look each other. They know the candle matches the other tables around them. The majority are couples. Zuko eyes them then looks at her. In that moment, he imagined how it would feel if they were on a date. Their eyes meet for a second but leaving each other again. Umi looks around the room to avoid catching his gold eyes again. She sees a couple in the table behind Zuko share a kiss and starts to choke on her food. She pounds on her chest and coughs out the piece of meat.

“Well that was embarrassing,” she blushes as she cleans her mouth with a cloth piece, hiding her red cheeks at the same time.

Zuko chuckles, not at her just at the event. “It’s alright. Remember the time a piece of cabbage shot out my nose?”

“How can I forget! You were laughing so hard watching the seagull attacking Jee.”

“He still panics whenever one flies by!”

Yeah, it feels like old times.

He takes a sip of his whisky and looks into Umi’s eyes, causing another rush of blood rush into her cheeks.

“Umi,” he begins softly. “I’m sorry about this morning. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“No, Zuko. I wasn’t in control. I’m your instructor. I shouldn’t have done that,” she apologizes.

He gives another smile and Umi had to take a large gulp of the whisky to combat the warmness in her stomach.

“The Avatar has been seeing traveling north of here.”

She holds her hand out to stop him talking. “Zuko, for now let’s not talk about the Avatar or the war. For now, just this moment, it’s just you and I.”

He nods his head in agreement. She’s right. It’s just them two, everything else can wait until they go back to the ship.

“How have you been? You said you’ve been traveling?”

Relieved at the change of subject, she goes into detail of her adventures. Zuko listens intently of her stories. She tells him about the craziest things her friends and her done. She tells him about the time Jin and her flew down the mailing rails, getting both of them arrested, and having Shun and Katsu convince King Bumi to let them go only to be put through insane tests instead of just paying a fee of five gold pieces. Zuko laughs with her and as she recounts the memory. She tells him about the awful experience just getting to the ancient city.

“Jin and I had to go through the cave of two lovers. It was the most complicated maze of tunnels.”

“The cave of two lovers? Isn’t that said only those who trust in love can make it through the caves?” Zuko suddenly feels upset. He is unsure why. He takes a large sip of his whisky, “Did Jin and you love each other.”

She lets out a large laugh, “Jin and I? Spirits no! Plus, the whole love can get people out thing is a lie. And with my luck, I had to find out the hard way.”

“Hard way?”

“When we believed the curse was real, we thought if we kiss the cave would magically open up. I mean we love each other of course. We are best friends. It was uncomfortable for both us when we kissed and I ended up tripping and my flame went out. Then there were glowing crystals on the ceiling guiding the way out.”

He didn’t know what made him ask. He was angry, upset at the thought of them kissing. He instantly regretted it when the words shot out his mouth, “Was he your first kiss,” he harshly asks her. 

“No,” she asks with eyebrow raised at his tone of voice. Was he mad? Was he jealous? She had to fight the urge to grin. “My first kiss was Shun, my ex.”

“Did you love him?” Zuko mentally groans. “ _Why am I asking her this! Why do I care about stupid Shun! And why do I think he is stupid”_

Her smile drops. She chugs the remaining of the fire whisky, ignoring the burning in her throat. “I do.”

Before he can add anything else, the server comes out with their dessert. Umi’s eye glow with eager. She doesn’t wait. She grabs the spoon provided and starts to dig in.

“This is fucking amazing. I could die happy if this is my last meal,” she tells him.

He lets her eat. She is smiling again, her honey eyes shining like gold. Her looks at warmly, “ _She’s beautiful.”_

There are so many unspoken things they need to address. All questions about her. With Iroh’s absence, Zuko planned to question her about not just this morning, but about everything. Her drinking, her blue flames, her disappearance. He noticed his uncle was very protective of Umi for reasons unknown to Zuko. The lunch invitation made the perfect opportunity to ask, there were too many people for Umi to risk her anger getting the best of her. He was going to demand answers, but then they started to laugh. They joked around, acting like the kids that spent sleepovers camped out on the ship’s deck. Then seeing how her she lit up telling him her stories and hearing her laugh, the laugh that sent Zuko’s heart racing. It really felt like nothing has changed. In that restaurant, hidden away from the war, was just Zuko and Umi. Not the exiled prince or the trained killer.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: Strong descriptions of violence.

Zuko and Umi walked back to the ship, admiring the silence among them after lunch. It wasn’t awkward. Nothing was said, but the silence aired of what they had between them. At least for the time being. They had plan to continue train to burn off the calories, but an officer informed Zuko that Iroh still hasn’t return. That left Umi to wonder around the ship. She walked until she stumbled upon Jee playing a game of pai sho. She stuck around since she had nothing else to get her attention. The game was over not too after she arrived. Without thinking of anything else to pass the time, she tried to her bedroom.

Umi laid in the middle room on her back, thinking of routines she can put Zuko through later. They had a session on for tonight and Umi has an idea on what she wants the Prince to do. With the cold flood on her back she shifts her thoughts about the crew, Zuko, and Iroh. She was settling with them, finding comfort in their presence and it terrified her. She was getting comfortable with them, too comfortable. She doesn’t want that.

And then the panic took form in her. She doesn’t stay in one place long enough to form bonds. Not ever since her time with old crew.

“No, I can’t do that to him again,” she mutters to herself.

She sees the war fans on her table. She runs her finger along with grip, letting out a sorrowful sigh. She can’t have these here. If she wants to her plan to succeed, she can’t risk having possessions from the “enemy _”_. They’ll mark her as a traitor and then Umi would be arrested or worse get sent to Ozai. She can’t have either to happen.

She packs her war fans with gentle care. Satisfied with the box’s safety, she grabs it and starts to head her way to the post. She hears the helmsman call out to her that they are leaving soon. She waves him off, shouting back that she will be back soon. The walk to the mailing office isn’t far. She’ll get there and back before the ship is ready to depart.

“Umi, you’re back,” Hui voices, emerging from the backroom behind the counter. “What can I do for you?”

“I need this sent to my home in Yu Dao as soon as you can. Extra protection,” she replies. She places the box on the counter along with 12 gold pieces to pay for the added risk he is taking.

“I’ll have these out at first light tomorrow.”

She thanks Hui and walks out the door. She doesn’t want to return to ship just yet. Instead she explores the port town. She passes the restaurant Zuko and her had lunch in. The sudden feeling of self-preservation creeps up to her. It’s a fear instilled in her for the past four years since escaping the Fire Nation training camp—her cage. She won’t tell him, but the real reason Umi left the ship three years ago was because each time Zuko planned on capturing the Avatar and imprisoning him because of what he can do left her shaking in fear from her time at the camp. She knows how it feels to be imprisoned for her bending even if their circumstances would be different.

She was a different person now. She’s stronger. She accepted the role as Zuko instructor for two reasons; the possibility of changing his views and preventing the Avatar to get taken. It’s getting harder each time with Zuko causing her usual controlled chi to become erratic. But the relationships she is forming with the crew and the one she is reforming with Zuko is making it hard for her to stay.

She blindly walks around, stopping until realizing she is outside the town gate. Her subconscious taking control of her to protect her. For a second time today she considers leaving. She didn’t have any possessions except for the fans Suki gifted her and that is already on it’s way back to her safehouse. She knew the real reason why she sent them away.

“Umi?”

She turns around and she sees Zuko and small handful of naval soldiers on komodo rhinos. She tries to ignore Zuko’s nervous gaze.

“I know you left Iroh at the hot spring and he still hasn’t returned. It’s nightfall. I left to see if I can find him,” she lies. She hopes he doesn’t ask how she knows where it is.

His face relaxes and lets the breath he was holding in. He thought she was taking off, though that is exactly what was about to happen. “I went back to ship to get a small group together, and to see if you wanted to accompany me. Hop on. We can go together.”

She does what he says and mounts the rhino he is on. As they travel down the road, the rhino falters in his step and Umi distracted by her thoughts starts to slip. She goes to wrap her arms around Zuko. She knows she can hold her balance now that she is aware, but she doesn’t want to leave the comforting contact.

Zuko places a worried hand on top of hers, “You’re alright?” There is a slight blush on his cheeks as her body pressed against his back.

“Yes,” she quickly says.

“Okay, we’re almost there. It’s just behind the tree lines there,” he points at the area of trees just a few yards away.

The group travel into the forest until the density of the trees becomes too narrow for the rhinos to go on.

“It’s just behind the trees.”

Umi’s goes through first. She notices the clothes hanging on the tree first. She instantly starts analyzing the surroundings, walking to the natural made tub. 

“Uncle! Uncle, where are you,” Zuko shouts out. He walks to join Umi.

“Sir, maybe he thought you left without him,” a soldier suggests.

Umi narrows her eyes at the at the formation of stone. “Something’s not right here.”

Zuko thinks the same thing and adds to Umi’s suspicion, “That pile of rocks,” he starts to say until the same soldier pipes up.

“It looks there’s been a landslide, sir.”

Her eyes remain focus on the supposed landslide. Umi’s eyes widen at realization, “Earthbending,” she gasps. This can only mean one thing.

“Land doesn’t slide uphill. Those rocks didn’t move naturally. My uncle’s been captured by earthbenders,” Zuko say’s, agreeing with Umi.

She pushes aside the soldiers and starts to investigate the surrounding area. Her eyes carefully focusing on the ground for any clue. She spots something on the ground a few steps away from her. She crouches next to it.

“Tracks. Maybe three hours old. Looks like five ostrich horses based on the footprints.”

Three hours, maybe a little bit more. Three hours with mounts faster than the rhinos. Umi goes over the timeline, her worry and anger increasing. “ _Most likely Earth Kingdom soldiers. They must be on their way to the capital where either he will be imprisoned or executed,”_ she thinks to herself.

She doesn’t wait. She all but runs to Zuko’s rhino and in one single move, she jumps on top and takes control of the reigns.

“Umi, wait. I’ll go with you,” Zuko tells her, already catching up to her. She doesn’t say anything. She waits for Zuko to mount. “Return back to the ship,” he orders the soldiers.

Umi yanks on the reigns and they start to follow the tracks. She can faintly hear Zuko say something to her, but her mind is too preoccupied in finding Iroh to listen to anything else. She can feel her chi erupting, the fire threatening to escape. She goes to retrieve her flask from her pocket only to panic.

“Fuck,” she groans. She feels around her body, searching if she might’ve put in a different pocket. “Fuck. Fuck. Fucking shit.” She stops the rhino and jumps down. She goes the side of the rhino, searching through the saddle bags. “FUCK,” she yells.

“Umi, what’s wrong,” Zuko asks, also jumping down.

“Not even an a bottle of ale,” she angrily murmurs.

“How can you thinking of drinking at a time like this!”

She sharply turns to face Zuko, her fiery eyes returning. “Not right now. Don’t fucking start with your judgmental shit, Zuko.”

His anger starts to boil, “Oh so we’re back to this now?”

She pushes pass him, returning to mount on the rhino. “Just get on. We don’t have time for your bitching right now.”

One step forward, ten steps back. He is tired of her everchanging attitudes towards him. He scoffs at her and mounts the rhino, settling behind her. Umi hopes Zuko will stop talking if she hopes to have any control.

Luckily, Zuko doesn’t say anything throughout the night. He doesn’t say anything when Umi will stop and get off to look at the tracks. Either he is too angry or he has the common sense not to further push Umi.

They remain in this tension filled silence all night until dawn. The only time they acknowledge each other is when they switch turns controlling the rhino. It’s Zuko turn to guide. Umi knows she should take the time to mediate but she can’t. All she can think about is Iroh.

“There! There’s a sandal on the path,” Zuko perks up. It’s the first clue they had besides the tracks that were now getting faint. He dismounts and goes to pick up the sandal. He picks it up and sniffs it, grimacing at the smell, “Yep. That’s uncle Iroh.”

If it weren’t the lack of alcohol, Umi would’ve burst out laughing. “We’re getting close,” she tells him in a monotone voice.

Zuko runs back to the rhino and jumps on, kicking the sides of the rhino and snapping the reigns. They continue not speaking to each other. Other than the nods, this is the first time they said anything to each other. He breaks the silence first.

“We’ll find him, Umi.”

She doesn’t respond.

Half of a day passes by. They haven’t found any clues left by Iroh, but the tracks get picked up. Umi dismounts and goes to the tracks. “They’re fresh. They must’ve made camp and just recently started to travel again. We’re closing in.”

She quickly walks back to Zuko. She is about mount when they hear a roar. Zuko looks up and spots the Avatar’s bison. “The Avatar.”

He starts to turn the rhino to follow it and the air stilled. The ground starts to heat up, the air getting hotter and hotter as if they were standing on top of an active volcano.

“For one fucking second, can you not focus on capturing the fucking Avatar,” she bursts, whatever small control she had gone. Zuko looks back to her, about to shout at her, when he sees her shaking in rage, smoke coming out from her shoulders. “Iroh is missing and one fucking look at the bison and you’re abandoning him.”

“I wasn’t going to—,” Zuko yells back.

She cuts him off, “We wouldn’t be in this fucking situation if you just brought him back when you went to get him in the first time! Who knows if he is dead!”

Zuko is about to yell back when he sees Umi summon blue flames around her body. He shuts his mouth close, letting Umi calm down. Several minutes pass by until she controls her fire at least. She is still fuming. She takes four deep breaths and mounts the rhino. The animal roars in pain as soon as Umi touches it. Zuko does the same when he felt Umi’s arm brush against him. He pulls his arm forward, looking at the new burn mark. It’s not serious. His armor took most of the burn.

“I’ll walk,” Umi grunts as she jumps back down. “I’ll find him. Go hunt your precious Avatar.”

Her steps are quicker than the rhinos. She already put enough distance between her and Zuko to finally calm down without him being close to her. She tries to think of anything to distract herself of Iroh. She starts to count the passing trees only for her to get fed up and throw a blast of fire at it. She has enough sense to put the fire out though. She glances back at Zuko. His face set in that scowl she annoys.

“Spoiled asshole,” she spits.

It’s nearing dusk. The tracks are still somewhat intact, but it’s getting harder to see. She is tired. She relaxed enough to lower her body temperature, but she still refuses to ride with Zuko. She knows as soon as she sees him, she’ll explode.

They reach a fork in the road; one leading further along the tree line and the other leading to a cliffside. She looks at the tracks under her. It’s hard to make out which direction they took. Then she spots ostrich feathers further down the path to the cliffside. She looks back at Zuko and points at the direction. She scouts ahead. The tracks are picking up again. They’re freshly made. At some point they stop. They must’ve turned into the clearing on the right. She walks to the opening, looking around for any clues. She finds a damp spot on the ground. She bends down to touch the ground. It’s still wet. They’re here. She waits for Zuko to catch up to her.

“Leave the animal here. We’re close. We can’t afford to lose the element of surprise with that thing stomping.”

“How do you know we are close?”

She points at the at the wet spot, “See that there. It’s still wet. It’s blazing since we are near the desert. The heat should’ve dried it after maybe forty minutes.”

Just to be exact, Umi closes her eyes and focuses on the different heat signatures. At first it’s only Zuko and rhino, but as she expands the radius she feels it. Five increased internal temperatures and only one normal—a firebender. For non firebenders, this heat would be bothersome, but for a firebender, this is nothing.

“Stay low and quiet. They’re right there,” she whispers to Zuko.

They stalk to the clearing, Umi concentrating on their body heat. They’re close enough that Umi can feel each distinct one.

Zuko and Umi’s ear perk up. They can hear voices near a earthen pit then they hear Iroh’s voice. She moves first. She gets closer to them and then she stops, shaking with anger once she hears what they are about to do to Iroh. 

“These dangerous hands must be crushed.”

She runs, Zuko at her heels. He is quicker, his longer legs causing longer strides than Umi’s. She sees the boulder hovering above Iroh’s hands and she freezes. Luckily Zuko kicks the boulder away as it comes crashing down. He swings his leg, sticking down the chains linking Iroh’s wrist together.

“Excellent form, Prince Zuko,” Iroh says proudly, getting in a bending stance.

“You taught me well,” he responds, also reading a bending stance.

The Captain and the five other Earth Kingdom soldiers face them, “Surrender yourselves, it's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered.”

Umi finally found her footing and took off. She waited until the benders’ back was turned away. She had to take a moment to calm herself down, but when she saw the chains on Iroh, the small control she was holding tightly slipped.

She sees red. She hears only static.

She summons a blue flame, engulfing the nearest soldier. She can see Iroh’s and Zuko’s disturbed stare, but she doesn’t care.

Iroh snapped out of it, instead focusing on the threat in front of him. He swings the chains still attached on arms, catching the stones flying at him. They breaks apart on contact. Zuko kicks a fire blast to the soldier on his left, knocking him back. He spins and kicks another fire blast towards the other soldier legs. He trips over, landing hard on his back. He doesn’t see the one behind him launching a boulder. Iroh does however. He swing the chain, wrapping it around the rock, then flinging it back at the earthbender.

Umi faces of her own opponent. He is strong, more skilled than the others. He is clearly the Captain. He stomps the ground causing three large stones to fly up in the air. He punches out in rapid succession to Umi. She ducks at the first one, barely missing her head. She gets up and blasts a blue fire ball at the second one, shattering it as if it was glass. Somewhere in her subconscious she becomes aware of her flames. She dashes towards the solider, somersaulting over the rock. With her leg, she kicks down a blade of dark red fire at him as her body comes down. It makes the Captain lose his balance. She rushes him, closing the space between time so he can’t bend, forcing him into hand to hand combat. She doesn’t let him throw the first hit. She jumps over him, grabbing his shoulders and throwing him to the stone wall. She doesn’t wait for him to get to his feet. Umi hurries to him, attempting to send a hard kick to his side. The Captain grabs her ankle mid kick, throwing her and slamming her back to the same wall Umi sent him to.

She rises to her feet, ignoring the pain on her back. She is about resume her assault when she sees him take a wide stance. She feels the wall tremble with his bending. She drives her knee to his stomach, knocking him back causing him to break concentration. She hears the Iroh’s chain rattle and her bloodlust creeps back up as she remembers what almost happened. She feels her body heat up as she sends a push kick to the Captain’s chest, she hears the crunch of his ribs cage breaking. As he stumbles, Umi reaches for his helmet, roughly removing it.

“YOU CHAINED HIM,” she yells at him, blue flames breathing out her mouth. “YOU WERE GOING TO CRUSH HIS HANDS.”

She sends another push kick, stronger than the last, and the Captain falls on his back. She sees the fear in eyes, but she doesn’t care. She stopped caring. She heats the edges of the metal helmet until they’re bright red from the heat. She straddles him and without hesitation she brings the heated metal down to the Captain’s wrist. It slices through like butter. His cries attract the attention of Zuko and Iroh. They already knocked their opponents unconscious. Umi lifts the helmet and does the same to the other wrist.

The Captain is crying in pain, his wails sending Zuko to a flashback to when Ozai burned him.

“You crazy bitch,” the Captain cries out.

_“Kill him,”_ a voice in her head urges her. “ _Make him suffer a slow death.”_

Umi places her hand over chest, right above his heart. Her already seething body getting hotter. She slowly pushes her hand down his chest. She can feel his flesh melting. She starts to laugh.

“Umi,” Iroh yells in panic. He is next to her, trying to snap her out of her bloodthirst state. He goes to reach out to her, but he feels the heat radiating from her body. “Umi, stop.”

She doesn’t stop laughing. The man is long gone, but she doesn’t stop. Her laughs turn to uncontrollable sobs and a spiral of flames erupt underneath her. Iroh backs away, unsure if he can even bring her back at this point.

Zuko slowly walks to her and using his bending, he makes an opening and walks through it. “Umi,” he softly says. “Umi, it’s okay. Uncle is okay. We’re okay.”

She doesn’t stop screaming.

“Please, Umi. Come back. Come back to me.”

Something in her opens. Deep inside, she hears Zuko’s voice. She screams his name in pain. She tries to climb out of dark pit of her mind but something is pushing her down.

_Come back to me._

Umi pushes herself out. The flames subside, her body returning to normal. Zuko falls to his knees and pulls her in an embrace. Umi cries on his shoulder, her body causing both to shake.

“Don’t leave,” she whispers in her shoulder. “Don’t go, Zuko.”

“I won’t. I’m right here. Rest now, Umi. You’re safe.”

“You’ll keep me safe?”

Zuko holds her tighter, “Always.”

She’s okay. Iroh is okay. Zuko is okay.

Her eyelids become heavy, her breathing slowing down and she passes out in Zuko’s arm. He picks her up and walks to Iroh with Umi on his arms. He motions his uncle to follow him. Iroh looks at the two men Umi killed. He knew what she is capable of, but he never thought he would see it. His eyes linger at the Captains body, a pool of blood under him. He winces and turns to follow his nephew.

They make it back to the rhino Zuko left tied to a tree. He grabs the unties the rope, letting it fall on the ground. He turns to his uncle and places Umi in his arms. He mounts the rhino then extending his arms down to Iroh.

“I’ll hold her, you steer.”

Iroh lifts Umi up to Zuko’s waiting arms. Zuko helps her straddle the rhino, her chest in front of him. Iroh then mounts the animal. He pulls the on the reign to guide the beast.

“Uncle, did you know she can do that?”

“Yes, nephew I did.”

“Wi—will she be okay? She is still asleep,” he worriedly asks, gently rubbing her back.

“Umi will be okay. She used all her strength. For now, let her rest,” he soothes. “Zuko, you brought her back.”

Umi moves, snuggling closer to Zuko. He looks down at her face trying to see if she woken up. She is still sleeping but she looks relaxed. He places a small kiss on the top of head, mentally promising her he will always bring her back.

She stirs again, mumbling a name on his chest.

“Shun.”


	8. Chapter 8

“You better catch up, Umi!”

“You’re going to lose again, fire girl!”

Umi jumps from branch to branch of the tall trees. Jin and Shun in front of her, Katsu and her following right behind them.

“Still think fire is better,” Jin calls out to Umi, using his earthbending to summon the ground upwards, creating pillars for him to jump onto different branches.

“You benders think everything can be solved with an element,” Shun laughs, using his superior agility to navigate through the forest. He doesn’t miss a step, landing gracefully onto the branches.

“You know I can I never win this damn game! I’ll cause a forest fire like last time,” Umi laughs after them. She uses her bending to propel herself forward in short bursts from her feet.

Katsu sees Umi thrusts herself to the next branch and takes the opportunity to send a water whip to her feet. Umi’s fire-made jets extinguish and she starts to fall to the ground. She keeps her arms in the air, searching for an open branch. She grips one as she nears the ground and swings herself to the branch of the tree in front of it.

“Fuck you, Katsu.”

Katsu smiles back, using her bending to create ice hooks to grab the branches. She swings from branch to branch. She usually wins this game, but Shun emptied her waterskin prior to the start of their game. Bending Race he calls it. It’s more of a training regiment than a game. Umi, the firebender, Katsu, the water bender, and Jin, the earthbender. The goal of the game is to get to the finish line using only their bending all while avoiding obstacles, natural or from the their opponents. It helps keep them familiarized with different elements, and helps Shun, the nonbender, learn to combat and dodge This particular round involves getting to the end of the forest. They can only use their bending to jump from one branch to another. Shun always loved a challenge and he decided to join the game, claiming a nonbender can beat a bender at a game that requires bending an element.

“Catch up, fire girl,” he yells back to Umi.

Umi knows she can get past him with her own agility but the rules of the game forbids it. They can only use bending to get across. It’s not easy for her. Her flames can get caught on a tree resulting in another forest fire like the one from 2 months ago. They still don’t let her live that down.

Jin turns back and sees Katsu coming dangerously close to him. He summons a rock and throws it at the branch Katsu is about to hook onto. It snaps, causing Katsu to come crashing down. She thinks fast and creates a slide of ice, skating past Jin with a smirk on her face.

Umi looks ahead at her friends. She knows she will never win this game, but she doesn’t care. She loves hearing their laugh. It doesn’t mean she won’t try to win. She waits until she finds an opening. She sees it then, the thing that will get to victory. There is a large gap between the trees, the branches of them not touching each other. She summons her chi and propels herself through the line with her fire jets as Shun calls it. She passes Katsu and Jin. She gives them a wave and a sweet smile. She is now behind Shun.

“Glad to see you finally made it here, fire girl,” he shouts to her. He jumps from branch to branch in a fluid movement. Almost as if he is gliding among the tall trees.

“You’re going down,” she shouts back.

“You’re sure about that,” he teases with a knowing smile. He knows how he will win. He has been planning this for some time since he fell into realization. Although, he pictured it happening very different. Maybe on their blanket while lying under the stars, or in their tent after being together. But Shun is never to stick to plans.

Shun moves ahead, picking up speed as he glides through the trees. He is far enough from Umi to turn around for a second.

“I love you.”

“Wha—,” Umi doesn’t finish her sentence as her hand slips the branch she was holding. She falls the ground, landing hard.

“And Umi is down,” Katsu and Jin say at the same time as they move pass her, laughing the entire time.

Shun looks down at his girlfriend, smiling down at her. He is too distracted that he doesn’t see the incoming blast of water coming at him. By the time he sees it it’s too late. Katsu knocks him off the ground and he lands right next to Umi.

“That was a dirty play, Shun,” Umi tells him.

“I know. But it wasn’t a trick, fire girl,” he warmly tells her. He grabs her arm and pulls her towards him, his lips crashing down on hers.

Umi sinks into their kiss, forgetting about the game and the trees.

“I love you,” Shun breaths out when he pulls away from her.

“You’re still an ass,” she laughs. She stands to her feet, offering her arm to Shun. “Let’s go see who the winner is.”

They walk hand to hand to the finish line. They see Jin and Katsu racing next to each other. They’re both close to the end. Jin tries to bring a wall of stone in front of Katsu, but she quickly makes another ice slide around it. Jin sees her coming close to him and as he is about to bring another wall in front of her, Katsu bends the water out of the branch he is on. He didn’t expect it and he falls the ground. Katsu jumps over him and after five giant leaps, she crosses the tree line, winning the game.

Shun and Umi catch up to Jin, who is rubbing his ass.

“She got you good,” Umi remarks.

“I let her win,” he grunts.

Shun grabs hold of Jin’s arm to help him up, “Sure you did. Your girlfriend beat you again.”

Katsu skates back to the trio, a giant smile spread across her olive skinned face. “Umi, you’re cooking and washing dishes tonight.”

“I hate this game,” Umi mutters, still smiling.

The group walk back their camp and Umi begins cooking. She lost, but that doesn’t mean she has to cook what they wanted. She knows their low tolerance to her culture’s food. She makes her signature spicy noodles, putting extra spices for that extra kick. She distributes the plates among her friends, siting back and waiting to watch their reactions.

Jin takes the first bite then immediately downing the water from his waterskin. “Fuck you, Umi.”

Umi looks back, looking as innocent as possible, “What’s wrong Jin?”

Katsu and Shun join Jin, gasping and grabbing their water as their tongues make contact with the noodles. Umi laughs, eating her noodles like nothing. It doesn’t bother her.

“Next time just let her win, Shun,” Jin groans, his tongue hanging out his mouth. “My tongue can’t take another one of her dishes.”

It took a year for Umi to find them. After leaving Iroh and Zuko she wondered around the Earth Kingdom, searching something. She found Shun first. They met in Ba Sing Se not too long after Umi left the Fire Nation royals. She saw him scaling the side of a guard’s station, two bags of food on him. She was hungry. She had the same idea, but he beat her to it. She followed him, letting her growling stomach guide her. He knew she was following him, but he didn’t do anything to stop him. Little did Umi know, Shun has been watching her since she came into the lower ring.

She followed him above the rooftops, hiding behind slabs each time he paused. She followed him until he reached a curious warehouse. A beat up building that was in desperate in need of some TLC. Shun stopped in front of door, the bags still hanging on each hand.

“Why don’t you join me,” he calls out into the darkness.

Umi stills. She was trained in stealth since she learned to bend. No one ever seen her but Shun did. Seeing no point in hiding anymore, she emerged from the corner 14 feet away from him.

“How did you know I was here,” she asks, narrowing her eyes.

He turned back, flashing a smirk she will learn to love, “It’s hard not to notice a pretty girl.”

Umi’s cheeks flushed. She stumbled in her words as she continued the conversation, “You took my idea to hit the guard station.”

“I did. Here, grab this one,” Shun hands her the bag of food he was carrying. “Come on inside.”

She kept her eyes him then at the door. She didn’t trust the stranger, even with his charm. Sane people don’t follow a thief into a shady building.

“I won’t bite. You’ll be safe,” he promised, still with that smile.

She doesn’t trust. She learned a long time ago trusting leads to burn marks. It leads to unhappy memories and pain. Yet, Shun made that disappear the moment their eyes meet.

“Okay.”

He opens the door, stepping aside to let Umi in first. It’s dark. She fights the need to summon a flame to light the area. Firebending isn’t illegal in the city, but the Dai Li will still get her. He gets near her, his hand gently placed on her back. He nudges her to move forward. As they walk further in she sees that it is leading to a tunnel. Umi starts to panic, her anxiety peeking. She can feel her chi expanding, preparing to defend herself. She pulls out her flask and takes a sip.

“Little too young to be drinking, aren’t you,” Shun asks.

“It helps me stay normal,” she answers without thinking. For the second time tonight Shun causes a personality switch. She blames his charm.

The tunnel starts light up from the torches placed on the wall. As they walk further in she starts to feel several body temperatures. Not even Shun dazzling smile will stop her nerves.

“If this is an ambush,” she starts to say in a low voice.

“It’s not. I told you you’ll be safe. You trust me, right?”

Before she can answer, and the answer being yes, they enter to a different building. The sounds of laughing children fills the air. There is so many. Children from different nations; Fire Nation, Water Tribe, and Earth Kingdom. Seeing their tattered clothing and mismatched shoes, she can tell they’re orphans.

“Kids?”

“Yup. There is a lot of children trafficking in the lower ring that is ignored. My group and I found this building and created a safe place for them. It isn’t much, but it’s safe,” he tells her warmly. “It’s hard to come up with food for them every day, so once a week we hit different areas for food. Guards, people in each ring, everywhere as to not cause too much attention.”

A small girl around 7 comes running to Shun, throwing herself to hug his legs. “Shun you’re back!”

More children rush over to him as they become aware of his arrival.

“Shun!”

“You brought food!”

“Who’s that!”

“She’s pretty!”

“Is that your girlfriend?”

Umi and Shun laugh at the children’s rapid questions. Shun guides Umi to a clutter of tables across the room. He starts to place the items of food on the table, Umi doing the same. Another comes to join him. He looks to be same age as Umi. His dark green eyes, dark brown hair, and the lack of shoes makes it obvious to Umi that he is an earthbender and probably the one behind the unnaturally made tunnels.

“See you got a good hit this time, Shun,” he proudly says, patting Shun on his back making him wince.

Shun moves his back, trying to relieve the pain he felt, “Hey I haven’t completely healed since you hit me with your stupid rock.”

The new arrival starts to laugh and then faces Umi, “You’re new. Hope Shun here didn’t try to woo you over. The name is Jin by the way.”

“Umi.”

“How long are you staying with us, Um—wait a minute!” Jin tilts his head, leaning in quizzically towards her. “You’re the girl Shun has been tailing!”

Shun blushes then elbows Jin on the ribs. “Jin, shut up.”

Umi raises her eyebrow, a slight smile on her face. It doesn’t phase her that she was being watched. She doesn’t know why, but she knows she can trust them.

“Shun has been gushing about since he saw you! _‘Should I talk to her? I wonder what_ _she is like. I should talk to her and ask her out’”_ , he teases.

“Seriously, shut the fuck up, Jin,” Shaun groans, avoiding Umi’s stare.

“Whatever man. And you wonder why you’re single,” he says, jokingly shoving Shun with his shoulder. “So seriously, Umi. You sticking around? We can use another bender in our group?”

“She’s a bender?”

“You know I’m a bender?”

Umi has hid her firebending well since arriving at the city. Actually, she hasn’t lit one flame, using spark rocks to light things.

“Yeah, I can tell by the way you walk, not to mention your chi,” Jin tells her as if was obvious.

Umi’s eye’s light up. “You can read chi? I thought it was a lost skill!”

Jin starts to laugh, a heavy hard laugh like his earthbending, “Nope. I mean yeah I guess, but my teacher showed me how. I’m not that great with fire benders since ya know…you’re people aren’t the friendliest. But with you with us, I can learn! Not to mention how strong your chi is!”

Something in his words makes her nervous. She doesn’t like how strong she is. It caused her pain and the death of her father. She pulls out her flask again and takes a larger gulp as her chi starts to go haywire. Shun questionably looks at her, not judgmental, simply curious. Jin however doesn’t. He looks…understanding.

“It quiets it down, right,” he asks softly, giving her a small smile.

Umi stares at him, her eyes widening. He is the first person to point it out. To point the reason why she drinks. She doesn’t say anything, just nods her head.

“My teacher would drink too. His chi was strong, not as strong as yours, but enough to when he lost his grip he would cause whole towns to shake. He said the alcohol would keep his mind fuzzy enough to keep his chi to flow out.”

“It keeps my fire at bay,” she whispers. “I burnt down a temple. I didn’t know this was a method until I picked it up for another reason.”

“People shun you right?”

Again, she says nothing only nodding her head.

He smiles comfortably at her, “Stick with us Umi. We’ll help keep you in check.”

Shun smiles at her too, “What do you say, fire girl?”

She stays with them. They stayed in Ba Sing Se for a short while until someone saw Umi accidently firebend. She was prepared to leave on her own, but Jin and Shun joined her. They traveled all over the Earth Kingdom the three of them then they found Katsu. Traveling with them, Umi found herself drinking less and less. Jin was right, him along with Katsu and Shun helped her stay in control. She only slipped when she something that reminded of the camp. The four of them became a family. It was easy to mix with them, she felt like they were always family. She didn’t want to run. She wasn’t cornered. Then she fell in love and she vowed to stay with them forever.

She is pulled back from her memories hearing Katsu’s bubbling laugher. Jin face is pressed against her neck, whispering things that will make a girl blush. Shun next Umi, trying to hold down his food as to not upset his girlfriend. She never thought she would be here, surrounded by people who loved her. Her small family.

“You okay,” Shun asks with a mouth full of noodes.

“Yeah,” she sweetly tells him. He swallows food and is about to say something when Umi kisses him. “I love you too.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Tell me again why we are going to the Fire Nation? Does he not know he is I don’t know BANISHED?”

Umi was pulled out of her bed hearing Zuko barking orders. She was resting not even a day when he barged in her room that they are leaving. She wanted to ask what was going on, but Zuko shut the door as soon as the last word left his lips. She hasn’t been able to ask him anything since then. Each time she got close to the Prince he would either turn the other way or insult her. She preferred the insults than feel the stinging of her heart seeing him avoid her.

It started happening after they found Iroh and rescued him from the Earth Kingdom soldiers. She wasn’t sure what happened to cause this new rejection. Surely Zuko knew that Umi has killed. And it’s not like he is a stranger to death. Umi didn’t know if Zuko has taken a life before, but she knows he has seen the act done. So, was it the method she used? Umi knows she isn’t perfect. No, she is far from it. She is emotional and doesn’t think straight when her chi is built up and all she feels is rage. She was fully aware what she was doing. She can still smell the man’s melting flesh.

She knew. And she doesn’t regret it.

She woke up in her bed the next day. Almost 10 hours passed since they left that area. She had the worst headache. It happens when her chi erupts. The last time it happened was on that terrible day five months ago.

Her body ached. Her inner fire was rebuilding itself, but each movement caused her to shutter with pain. It felt like someone was constantly screaming in her ear.

Umi stumbled out of bed, almost falling on her knees with the sudden movement. She just needs to be outside, to feel the Sun’s energy gifting her. She thought it was going to be another day of sailing. She had planned to find a nice comfortable spot on the ship’s deck and spend the day on her back. Instead when she stepped foot outside she was welcomed by crazed crew mates running back and forth and the Fire Nation on the horizon.

“Sailing in Fire Nation waters, Zuko,” Iroh starts, narrowing his eyes at his nephew. “Of all the foolish things you have doing in your 16 years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish.”

The words don’t phase Zuko. Nothing will stop him from getting the Avatar. “I have no choice, Uncle,” he responds, hoping his uncle will understand.

“Relentless isn’t he,” Umi mutters to the guard next to her. He doesn’t say anything, standing straight like the perfect solider. “Always the silent one, Shang.”

“Have you forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you,” Iroh says to him, raising his voice angrily then lowering it a fearful whisper. “What if you’re caught?” _What if Umi is caught?_

Zuko turns around to face his uncle, “I’m chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I’m returning home.”

Umi lets out loud scoff, causing Zuko to look back at her angrily. “You give him too much credit. Your father is not the understanding type. If you get arrested, I might not be able to get you out.”

She isn’t thrilled being back home. She almost downed a bottle when Iroh told her where they are heading.

“There they are,” Zuko shouts, looking through the spy glass. He turns his neck to shout, “Helmsman, full steam ahead!”

The crew ready the catapult, loading it with a steaming stone covered with flammable substance that makes Umi and Iroh gag.

“Really, Prince Zuko, couldn’t you shoot them down with something more fragrant,” Iroh complains while fanning his face.

“Yeah, this smells like shit,” Umi adds, wrinkling her nose. With the headache still pounding strong, the foul smell is only making want to vomit over the railing.

Zuko ignores their complains and sets the projectile ablaze. He raises his arm, ready to signal the crew. “On my mark,” he starts, watching the bison closely and waiting for an opening. “Fire!”

The fiery boulder shoots out from the catapult. It cuts through the air to the bison. They barely dodge it.

“They’re kids, Zuko,” Umi yells out. “Fucking kids.”

“Shut up, Umi,” Zuko shouts back. He signals to shoot another.

“Fuck,” Umi gasps. A head of them is a row of Fire Nation battleships. A blockade. This headache isn’t going away any time soon.

“Technically you are still in Earth Kingdom waters. Turn back now and they cannot arrest you,” Iroh reasons, Umi nodding agreeably.

Zuko glares at them, especially at Umi. “If you’re not going to help than get of my way,” he snaps at her.

“Fucking hell, Zuko. Are you that stupid to think they won’t arrest you? You’ll get executed. Or you think just because you a member of the royal family they’ll only place chains around your hands,” she snaps back. This is a bad idea. She knew that. She also knew she should’ve left. She hesitantly moves to him, getting close enough so the others won’t hear. “Zuko, you know a royal status didn’t stop her from receiving that fate. Please don’t do this. I can’t lose you.”

Zuko is fuming with rage. He doesn’t want to hear another word from Umi. What he does next surprises not only her but it surprises himself. He instantly regrets it. She wasn’t prepared for it. Zuko shoves Umi, a little too hard and she falls on her back. Iroh rushes over to help her up but she waves him away.

She stands up, walking close to him until he can smell the liquor from her breath. “What happened to keeping me safe? Fine, but when they arrest us, don’t act heroic when they wrap the chains on my neck like an animal.”

She pushes him back, not wanting to look at him for another second. She can already feel her chi increasing with her anger. She shoves Iroh’s shoulder, ignoring his pleas to come back. She goes back inside the ship, straight to Lieutenant Jee in the bridge

“Where do you keep your strongest,” she asks him.

“He’s being a dick again,” he asks, retrieving a bottle kept near in a cabinet and handing to her. She doesn’t bother getting a glass. She uncorks it and brings the bottle to her lips, chugging down like it was water.

“Risking our safety like that. How did you guys put up with him for three years?”

Jee and her became friends rather quickly. Since their drinking game, they grew close. She found herself going to either Iroh or Jee when she felt like she was slipping again. She found it easy to talk to him and he found it safe to vent to her about Zuko. What they shared about him never left the room.

“Honestly, if it weren’t for his uncle all of us would’ve jumped ship by now. I rather be labeled as a deserter than having a child bark orders and treating us like shit,” he vents. Umi offers the bottle to him and he usually he won’t drink while he was duty, but right now his crew was in danger because of the Prince’s obsession. He takes the bottle and takes a swing of it. “Thanks.”

“You know what,” she pipes up, a hint of mischief in her golden eyes. “Next time we spar, I’m not going to go easy. He wants to be an asshole and act like he is above all of us then I’m just going to have kick him off that pedestal he desperately clings to.”

Jee laughs at her plan, “Let me know when so I can clear my duties. I’m not going to pass the opportunity to see him fall on his ass.”

Umi laughs with him, then she sees what is coming at them. “Fucking hell. This asshole is going to kill us all.”

Dozens of flaming projectiles come at them from the ships ahead of them. One of them hitting the ship’s engine.

“The engine got hit. You better not hold back,” he groans in annoyance. They need to stop to make repairs, but he knows Zuko won’t allow that.

“I’ll go see what I can. He won’t make sure the crew is safe, but I will.”

Umi finishes the bottle and runs out the bridge. She heads to the engine room, engineers are already there trying to salvage the destroyed machinery.

“What can I do,” she asks them.

The head engineer looks back at her, “There is a big fire outside. See if you can control it from overtaking the rest of the ship.”

She quickly nods and goes out to deck. She can hear Zuko ordering the crew not to stop the ship. She wants to go and throw him overboard. It took a lot of restrain, but she turns away from and runs to the large fire near the back of the ship. She takes a deep breath, remembering to center herself. She takes a stance and extends her arms out to bring the fire down. It’s tough. She is still resting and her chi is still reforming. But it’s working, the flames are going out. She cranks her neck to see where the ship is heading.

“This fucking asshole,” she breathes out. He plans to run the blockade.

She doesn’t think she can control the burning engine and take on the soldiers that were about to board the ship. To her surprise, she sees the ships coming to a halt. They’re letting them pass.

The ship sails cuts through the opening, the whole time Umi narrowing her eyes questionably. There has to be a reason why they’re letting them through. They’re halfway across when he sees him. Zhao.

The flames she tried so hard to keep done erupt again. One of the engines makes a loud pop. She knows she broke whatever was left of the already damaged engine.

She returns her glare at Zhao, trying to fight the urge to go to his ship and killing him. They make eye contact, a dark smile appearing on his face.

Their ship gets a safe distance from Zhao, but Umi doesn’t stop feeling the uneasiness in her gut. She knows Zhao and he does not give up. Something is going on. Before she can think further upon it, Zuko stomps towards her, Iroh trailing behind him.

“You broke the engine,” he accuses her. He isn’t wrong, but she didn’t start it.

“I’m going to break more than just the engine if you don’t step the fuck back, _your highness_ ,” she says threateningly, pure venom dripping out.

“Prince Zuko, it’s best if you walk away now,” Iroh warns.

For the first time, Zuko does what he says. He sees the look in Umi’s eyes. It’s the same look she had when she killed the Earth Kingdom soldiers. He grunts and leaves Umi with Iroh. They stand there, not saying a word to each other.

“Umi, forgive Zu—.”

“Stop, Iroh,” she cuts him off. “Please just keep him from me or else I’ll kill him.”

He sighs, but doesn’t comment further. “Zhao was there. Are you alright?”

“Peachy.”

Feeling her discomfort, Iroh walks away and joins back with Zuko. Umi looks back to where Zhao is. She knows he is probably following him. It’s too good of an opportunity for him to pass by. Two for two; he gets Zuko to Ozai and gets Umi back to the camp. She knows what she needs to do. She knows Zuko is already planning something to secretly get pass him. Whatever he thinks of, and no matter how clever his plan might be, Zhao will see through it. She hates it, but she is going to have join him.

“I better go raid Jee’s stash.”

.

.

.

.

She told Zuko her suspicions and surprisingly he agreed with her. He even suggested to accompany him before Umi offered to. She stayed behind to oversee the small vessel they are taking while Zuko went to discuss their plan to Iroh. She packed their items on the vessel, packing enough food and supplies to last them until they met back with the main ship. They are going to dock back in the Earth Kingdom and wait for Umi and Zuko to return. They had everything planned. They just need to make it through the trip back. Umi hopes she packed enough liquor to get by.

“Ready?” Zuko has returned, Iroh right behind him. He doesn’t look too happy about their plan. Zuko boards the small vessel, carefully placing a knapsack next to Umi. “Uncle, keep heading north. Zhao will follow the smoke trail while Umi and I use it as cover.”

Iroh stokes his bread, shaking head in disagreement.

“I’ll keep the Prince safe, General. You have my word,” Umi promises.

He is still frowning at them as the vessel departs the main ship. Once ship becomes a tiny blur, Umi goes to join Zuko inside the small cabin.

“Where do you think he is heading to,” he asks her as he notices her presence.

She pouts, her mind going through different theories. “Hand me a map.”

Zuko spreads a map of the Fire Nation on the table in the center of the cabin. Umi’s searches the areas around them, her eyes narrowing at the different locations. “What’s today?”

“The solstice?”

She perks up, smiling at her discovery. She points her finger at an island. Crescent Island.

“He’s going to the Fire Temple. He isn’t a fully realized Avatar yet and probably can’t willingly go into the Spirit World. He might need to talk to Roku, the previous Avatar.”

“How do you know so much about the Avatar?”

Her smile drops and rolls up the map. “Set course.”

Zuko watches as she goes to retrieve the bottle she took from Jee. He goes to stand next to her as she brings the bottle to her mouth, welcoming the bitter liquid in her mouth.

“I brought some extra in case you need it,” he says softly.

“You did?”

He gives her an understanding smile, “Yeah. I don’t want you to get uncomfortable, especially since we are going to have to sail back to the Earth Kingdom and avoid being spotted by both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.”

She doesn’t know what to say or how to react. Earlier that day she wanted to kill him, and he was shoving her to the floor after she built the courage to tell him she didn’t want to lose him and now he is treating her like this. All of it was giving her another headache.

“Zuko, why do we treat each other like this,” she asks sadly, not meeting his eyes. “You’ve been avoiding me too since we rescued Iroh. I know why. You saw a part of me I never wanted you or Iroh to see. I was a monster.”

His hand grabs a hold of hers, his other hand cupping her cheek to face to him. “No, Umi. You’re not a monster. You did what you felt you had to do. And I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you. And I’m so sorry for pushing you.”

He knows he has been avoiding her. He didn’t want to, but each time he saw her the name she said after rescuing his uncle surfaces on his mind. _Shun_. She said it so sweetly and it made him jealous. It made him angry that someone that made her say their name like that. And he didn’t know why he felt like that.

A small tear falls down her cheek. She hates feeling this vulnerable, but with everything that happened yesterday and today she can’t help but feel small. “You said you would keep me safe,” she whispers to him. “I don’t want to go back to the Fire Nation. I don’t want to be returned to the capital.”

“Why?”

She wants to tell him. She wants to tell him that his father was evil. She wants to tell him the scars, the beatings. She wants to tell him his father’s plans for her. She wants to tell him everything, but she can’t. She can’t bring herself to tell him.

“I can’t, Zuko. Not right now. I will, but not right now,” she tells him. Her hand starts to tremble in his grasp. He removes his hand and reaches a glass to pour the bottle she was holding.

“Here. Go rest and I’ll let you know when we get there.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING Implied mention of rape and torture.

“Wake up, we’re here.”

“How long was I out?”

Zuko left the door open for her, “An hour and a half. We weren’t far from the island.”

Umi walks out the cabin to the small deck of the vessel. She always wanted to visit one of the Fire Temples, but she never had the chance. Being here was awe-inspiring. But stepping foot in one of his temples like this felt wrong. She was here with someone whose goal was to capture the Avatar. And there are her own motives to think about. 

She read tales of Avatar Roku, stories of his adventures. He was her favorite incarnation. Her father would tell her stories of Roku’s feats and her favorite about how her great grandfather used to train alongside him. Umi’s father used to tell her that her grandfather was supposed to teach Aang before his disappearance, but obviously that never happened. Umi’s father told her that their family was supposed to mentor the next Avatar if he ever made himself known again, but the time never came until now.

“We need to hurry inside. The solstice is about to begin,” Zuko came out to join her. They pulled near the shore. It wasn’t too far from the temple, but enough to keep their small boat hidden. 

Zuko anchored the ship and together they jumped off the ship, the shallow water reaching their thighs. Zuko’s eagerness gets the better of him and he all but runs to the temple. Umi is trying to keep up with his pace, but the temple is the greatest thing she has ever seen. It’s hard to stay to focus on the mission.

There is a stone bridge leading to the temple. It wasn’t guarded so it only meant one thing. The sages were already inside trying to stop the Avatar. Umi knew the sages weren’t loyal to the Avatar anymore. They turned their allegiance to the crown. She hasn’t thought this plan far ahead. She only came for Zhao, but Zuko is set to capture the Avatar and she cannot let that happen. If it came down to it, she will need to fight not only Zhao, but the Sages and even Zuko.

_Zuko_.

How far is she willing to go to make sure the last airbender isn’t captured? Will she kill her childhood best friend for the sake of the world?

As they get nearer to the temple, Umi begins to feel an overwhelming force. It’s unlike anything she ever felt. Her chi starts to grow, the need to find a release creeping on her. She pulls out her flask containing the strongest spirit she found in Jee’s supply. It’s not enough to bring down her nerves. She feels like she is going to explode.

Zuko doesn’t notice. He is far too focus on his goal. He is so close to returning home. So close to his father welcoming him back. Nothing was going to stop him.

He dreamed of this moment since his banishment. The day he finally captures his ticket home, the home where is father will accept and he will rejoin the family. He had thought of what will happened. He’ll get home, but he will have Umi with him. He will get his birthright back. He has thought of making her a General or at least an advisor. Umi is calculating. She is a warrior. She has experience lying in enemy lands. With that, she can bring useful intel to the Fire Nation. He was determine not to leave her behind.

He walks with a determined step inside the temple, Umi right behind him. He doesn’t care about the marvelous architecture but Umi does. She walks to the middle of the giant hall, marveling at it all. Painted on the ceiling are stories she heard about Avatar Roku. Everything leading to his legendary fight against the volcanos that ultimately caused his death. She goes to the altar at the end, right under the canvas of his last fight. She lights the candles on the altar with her bending then dropping to the floor in a kowtow bow.

“What are you doing,” Zuko hushes. “We need to get the Avatar.”

“Show you respect, Zuko. We are in his temple and on the most spiritual day of the year,” she hisses at him. “Get down.”

Zuko lets out a frustrated sign and goes to join to Umi, lightening the candles she did not. He does a short quick bow, but Umi hits his calf. He groans and goes to his knees to join her in her kowtow.

Umi can hear him mumble a small prayer fast. He doesn’t have time to waste. He gets up, pulling Umi by her arm to stand with him. “We need to hurry.”

Umi huffs but nonetheless joins him. She will not aid him. She is only here for one thing. Zhao. She isn’t naïve. Their plan to fool the Commander won’t work. If she knows one thing for certain is that Zhao does not get fooled. No, she is here for vengeance. She is after blood.

They walk up the steps leading to Avatar Roku’s statue. She dreamt about seeing it, but she was here unwelcomed. She only hopes she will be forgiven before she enters the Spirit World. They hear the platter of footsteps above. Zuko raises his fist to stop her from advancing further.

“He’s inside,” they hear one of the Fire Sages speak. “Open the doors immediately before he contacts Avatar Roku.”

Zuko moves first, looking at his surroundings, his gaze setting the grand red doors. He knows these temple doors won’t open. They can only be opened by either a fully realized Avatar or four or more fire blasts depending on the lock. He can see the trick, a clever trick and he wasn’t here for the Avatar, he would admire the cleverness of it.

_“He has to be around here somewhere, waiting for the Sages to open the door,”_ he thinks to himself.

Umi sees him first. The Avatar is on one of the dragon statues wrapped around a column. He sees her too. His gray eyes widen when he sees who is next to her. Umi follows his gaze to Zuko. She puts her finger to her smiling lips and nods at him. He doesn’t know how to react to that. Umi then points towards the Sages as they ready to open the door.

Five Sages stand in front of the door. All five of them simultaneously send a continuous blast of fire unlocking the doors. Umi watches in wonderment as the dragons on the door spin, expanding the Fire Nation emblem. She doesn’t notice Zuko leave her side.

“Now, Aang,” one of the Sages shouts.

“Aang! Now’s your chance,” a watertribe girl screams.

She looks back to the where she saw the Avatar perched. He wasn’t there anymore. Instead, he is held by Zuko.

“The Avatar’s is coming with me,” Zuko says, claiming his prize as he grips the young Avatar’s arms.

“ _No. I failed.”_ Umi shoulders drop, her heart sinking as she watches Zuko twists the boy’s arms. She only has one choice. “ _I can take them. I can take all of them down and get the Avatar and his friends away from here.”_

“Close the doors,” Zuko orders as he walks away with the Avatar.

His back is turned to Umi. The Avatar takes one look back to his friends then landing his gaze on Umi.

She gives him a nod and right when she is about to attack Zuko, Aang makes his move. Aang expertly ducks and twists his body until he is out of Zuko’s arms, then kicking him down the stairs. Umi watches anxiously as Aang runs to the door. He jumps over the Sages then at the last second he leaps through the door as they shut.

Umi lets out the breath she has been holding and goes to help Zuko.

“Why didn’t you do anything,” he snaps, pushing her arm away from him.

“Do you honestly think I was going to hurt the Avatar in _Avatar Roku’s_ temple? Come on, Zuko. That’s like asking me to curse Agni,” she half lies. Even if the circumstance were reversed and she was in league with the crown, she still wouldn’t attempt that in the sacred temple.

“Your superstitions may have caused me my throne,” he angrily tells her, shoving her aside. “Get out of my sight.”

The stinging pain of her heart is pushed down by her uncontrollable rage. Her tiny control is slipping again. She takes out her flask, drinking it’s entire contents. She can’t do anything but sit back and watch as Zuko and the Sages attempt to open the door only to fail.

“Why isn’t it working,” Zuko says frustrated. “It’s sealed shut!”

“It must have been the light. Avatar Roku doesn’t want us inside,” the older Fire Sage notes. 

Zuko turns to glare at the Sage who is bounded. “Bring him here,” he orders.

Umi goes to join Zuko. He sees her walking to her, surprise to still see her here. He isn’t looking forward to the trip back knowing full well she is going to unleash a barrage of curses onto him. He’ll deal with that later. The Fire Sages brings the bounded Sage in front of Zuko. The Sage is pushed to his knees to kneel in front of Zuko.

“Why did you help the Avatar,” Zuko demanded.

The Sage looks fearlessly at the angry Prince. “Because it was once the Sages’ duty. It is still our duty.”

Umi smiles sympathetically at the Sage. She knows the fate he is facing once Ozai gets wind of his betrayal of the crown. She wants to help, but what can she do that won’t blow her cover? It won’t be hard to help free him, but what then? She will have no choice but to leave Iroh and Zuko behind and after that, she will surely become a wanted criminal. She will be branded a traitor. Her planning is cut short when someone speaks from behind her.

“What a moving and heartfelt performance,” a chilling voice comes from behind Umi and Zuko. She knows that voice. She freezes as Zhao continues his taunt. “I’m certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him.”

She doesn’t move. She is paralyzed in rage.

“And Prince Zuko. It was a noble effort, but your little smoke screen didn’t work. Three traitors in one day. The Fire Lord will be pleased.” Umi turns her body, fire in her eyes as she looks at Zhao. “Oh and Master Umi. I wasn’t aware you weren’t traveling with those three savages.” A smirk creeps up on his face, his eyes narrowing. “Well two savages now isn’t?”

Her fear comes up. She can’t fight. She tries to move her legs, but she can’t feel them. She was ready to kill Zhao, but she can’t will herself to move. Four soldiers move toward Zuko and Umi. One of them grabs Zuko and bounds him, the other three get behind Umi and grabs her.

“Don’t rough up her too much. We can’t damage her further,” Zhao says to them. “Bring her to me.”

“You’re too late, Zhao,” Zuko spits. “The Avatar’s inside and the doors are sealed.”

“No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out. Chain the traitors to the pillars and chain her to the ground.”

“I’ll kill you,” Umi roars, fire erupting from her mouth.

One of the soldiers goes to try to chain her arms but Umi roars a breath of blue fire at him. She is about to get out of the soldiers’ tight grip when she feels the familiar coldness around her neck. Her flames go out. The fire in her eyes go out. She stops breathing when the chains wrap around her neck. Zhao walks to her, placing his pale finger under her chin to force her to look at him.

“I think I’m going to have fun with you before I take you back to the Capital,” he tells her in an evil, sweet voice that makes her skin crawl in fear. “Chain her next to the Prince. With luck, her anger will burn him.”

They drag her to where Zuko is already being chained to a pillar. She makes eye contact with Sokka, his eyes filled with sadness.

“Sokka, is that girl you met in Kyoshi,” Katara whispers to him.

“Yeah. She wasn’t like this though. She was different. She looked dangerous,” he whispers back. “We need to get her after we get Aang.”

Umi is chained next to Zuko. He tries to look at her, but she is chained too far from him.

“Umi,” he whispers. “Umi, talk to me.”

She doesn’t say anything. She is frozen.

Zhao’s soldiers move to stand in the front of the door, taking stances ready to fire at Aang.

“When those doors open, unleash all your firebending power,” Zhao commands.

“Umi, I’ll get you out. I promise,” Zuko tells her. She still remains quiet.

It feels like a lifetime before the doors finally open. Zhao and his men blast everything at the entrance. The flames wrap in a sphere around Aang then suddenly disperse around him revealing not Aang but Avatar Roku.

He sends the flames back to the Zhao and others. As the flames erupt throughout the hall, the chains around Umi and Zuko melt. Zuko breaks free and grabs Umi’s arms and he pulls her to a run.

“We need to get out of here,” he yells back.

She still doesn’t speak but she runs with him. They dodge falling debris, they jump over the lava Avatar Roku raises. Umi’s legs protect her. She jumps with Zuko, avoiding the dangerous obstacles. They make it to the stairs, well where the stairs once were. A section of it has collapsed leaving a large gap from the where they stood to the floor under them.

“We need to jump, Umi.”

“Zuko,” she whispers.

“I have you,” he wraps an arm around her and together they jump to the floor. It’s a short jump, nothing to cause a broken bone. Umi lands on top of him. “We just need to make it back to the boat. Come on”

They stand up and continue to run to the exit. Somewhere along the way Umi’s legs finally give out. She falls the floor as the debris fall around her.

“UMI,” Zuko screams.

He runs back to her and puts his arms under her legs and back. He carries her in his arms as he runs across the crumbling bridge. He runs even after he feels his lungs start to burn. He doesn’t stop until they reach their boat. He lays her on the floor inside the cabin, not wanting her to be away from him. He starts the engine and sail away from the destroyed island. Not until they are safely away he walks to her. He knees down next to her. He sees the marks around her neck from the chains. It burned into his memory. Seeing her freeze in fear as the soldiers wrap the chains around her neck made him boil with anger. He vows to kill the men who did this to her. He will hunt down the people who made her like this.

“Umi, we’re safe now,” he gently tells her.

Umi tries to get up but fails. She tries again but only gets up far enough to sit up. She moves her body until her back is against the wall. Zuko goes to sit next her. He places his hand on her knee. She starts to shake. She tries to hold in her tears. Zuko takes his hand from Umi’s knees and places it on her hand. That’s when the strong wall she held up breaks. She starts to wail. Zuko pulls her in a strong embrace as her tears fall onto his shoulder. She cries until she passes out.

Zuko doesn’t bother getting up. He stays there with Umi wrapped around him.


	11. Chapter 11

Aang, Katara, and Sokka barely made it about it of the temple. Appa, sensing his rider’s panic, came flying to their rescue at the last second and flew them to safety. Aang grabbed Katara and Sokka by their waists and using his air bending, he lifted the trio onto Appa’s saddle. Once they caught they breaths, the realization came rushing at them full speed.

“We weren’t able to save Shyu. Who knows what happened to him,” Aang silently whispered. At the 12 years, the young Air Bender had to face the death of not only his people, but also the lives that were lost after the start of the war. He wasn’t able to save Shyu, but he is determined to save the next. 

“The Fire Nation is probably are going to kill him,” Katara glares back the at burning island, venom in each word. “They’re all monsters.”

Sokka and Aang look at each other, their eyebrows raised. They both had their own interactions with a certain firebender and neither time she showed violent intentions. Umi assisted them escaping Zuko’s clutches.

“That girl isn’t,” Aang mutters, not wanting to raise her voice any higher and risk Katara’s temper to flare. It was almost comical how the young monk hid behind the older tribesman to avoid Katara’s death stare.

“That girl? You mean the girl with the guy who is trying to kill us,” Katara takes her glare to Aang.

Sokka looks between his younger sister and Aang, not knowing how to get in between them. “Katara,” he breathes. “Umi isn’t like them. She helped me back in Kyoshi Island. She helped Suki too.”

Katara furiously looks at her brother, “ _Umi_? I didn’t know you two were in first name basis!”

“She also helped me back in the temple. She saw me before Zuko did and didn’t do anything. She also didn’t do anything when I got out of Zuko’s hold,” Aang reasons with her.

“She told me to avoid the shores because that is how Zuko is tracking us. And to go straight to the Northern Water Tribe and have Aang to train under a Master Paku,” Sokka tells his sister. “Katara, Umi wouldn’t have told us if she was trying to kill us. And she knows someone in the Northern Water Tribe.”

Katara doesn’t let up. It’s not a secret of Katara’s hatred of the Fire Nation. This war has taken away so much for her. For her, everyone in the Fire Nation is at fault for her suffering. A few noble deeds from one of them won’t erase the trauma that is rooted deep within her.

“I don’t think we should trust her.”

* * *

Zuko and Umi met back with the ship rather faster than expected. The ship still wasn’t at their agreed destination. It has been a few hours since meeting back with them. Umi went straight to her room as soon as the vessel was docked in the ship. Jee was there waiting with a bottle by her room’s door. She took it and locked herself inside her quarters. She denied any meals. She ignored the knocks on the door even when it was Iroh. Zuko attempted but he received the same treatment as well. She stays in her room for the remaining of the day and the next. She doesn’t leave the ship when they stop to make repairs or when they return back to sea.

Seeing the man who tormented her as a child drove into this. She knew he would be there. She was prepared to face. She was ready to get her revenge. But it all stopped when she felt the familiar cold around her neck. The same cold she felt at the camp. She expected the slashes that usually came after.

She felt weak.

She felt ashamed.

The only thing she felt was the comforting warmth of the liquor, and she spent those three days in a drunken sin.

Zuko again attempted to go to her on the third day. He didn’t hear her yelling from the other side, only the softest, “ _Go away, Zuko.”_ He can open the door and force her out, but he knew that isn’t what she needed. But did he know what she really needed? What did he know about his former best friend? Time has changed both of them. Umi returned to the ship with more battle scars and an emotionless stare. He needed answers. He wasn’t going to get them from the source, so he went to the next person who might know.

Zuko was with his uncle. He was pacing back and forth going over the same unanswered questions. “I don’t understand why you can’t tell me, uncle,” he says annoyed.

Iroh takes a sip of his tea and gives him the same answer he has been giving him for the past hour. “Prince Zuko, it isn’t not for me to reveal. Umi will tell you once she is ready.”

“What about the chains? Uncle, I never seen her look so scared. I have seen her fight before. I have seen her burn a man alive for Spirits’ sake. She didn’t even try to fight back. She just let them chain her neck.”

Iroh grimaces. He tried to go to Umi’s room after their return. Lieutenant Jee has told her there was a blank stare in her eyes. He said she looked devoid of life. They both have tried to talk to her but all their heard was her yelling at them to leave her alone.

“Nephew, I have told you Umi has changed since the last you seen her. She is not the same Umi you grew fond of.”

Zuko doesn’t even try to deny it. “I know that, uncle. I know she has changed, but there are times where it’s just the two of us and it feels like the past 2 years didn’t happened and then she rages and she turns into the thing she ran away from. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to help her.”

Iroh places a comforting hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Zuko, you need to wait for her. There is immeasurable pain within her. Be there for her and she will find you again.”

“I’ll wait for her then. I won’t leave her,” Zuko vows.

Iroh smiles at him. There is twinkle in his eyes upon hearing his nephew’s words. He asks the same question he asked Umi. “You still care for her?”

Zuko drops his shoulder and looks at the metal door, wishing he can be with her. “I never stopped,” he confesses in a whisper.

* * *

It’s been almost four days since the temple incident. She ignored her duties as Zuko’s teacher. She ignored the pleas from not only Iroh, but Jee and the other guards she has become friends with. They all tried their own small ways to bring her out. Iroh tried to lure her out with a game of pai sho. Jee told her he has restocked his entire shelf. Her friends Lee and Shang has asked her if she wanted to spar. Eventually, she caved and left her room. She first heads to the showers to take a much needed shower. The hot water helped relax her and it gave her time to think of everything that happened. Umi, when she wanted to be, can be relentless. She can be ruthless. She can be calculating. She’ll bid her time. Zhao knows she is out here. He knows she is alive and a bonus, is currently traveling with Prince. He will come to her, and Umi will be ready to strike when he does.

She finishes bathing herself and dresses herself a casual deep red robe with gold linings. She considers going to meet with Iroh out on the ship’s deck but she knows Zuko is going to be there. Instead she goes to the bridge to where Jee is.

“Umi! Back for a rematch,” he taunts her. Umi is glad he isn’t going to try to ask what was wrong. He understood.

She smirks at him and raises her eyebrows, “Eager to lose again?”

There are oohs from the crew around them.

“My copper goes to Umi,” one of them yells.

“Are you kidding? She is going down,” another shouts.

“Umi is better off winning a drinking game with him.”

Umi stares Jee down, “Come on, Jee. Unless you’re scared?”

Jee narrows his eyes, meeting her challenge. “Fine. And loser will,” he pauses for theatrical effect. “Sit a whole hour with the Prince after his morning practice.”

The crew around them winces.

“Don’t play Umi. If you lose you might set him on fire,” one of the guards tells her.

“Why Shang, I would never do such thing to his highness,” Umi says, faking a shock face.

“Bring out the board,” Jee orders.

The pai sho board is brought out and set on the table next to them. They dramatically circle the table before taking their seats. Umi waves her hand to him to make the first move. He places the jasmine tile on the board and waits for Umi to make her move. She places the white jade tile down. The game starts. They go back and forth, quickly figuring out each other’s method. They gathered an audience. Almost the entire ship’s crew has joined, some standing in the hall.

“Admit defeat, Jee,” Umi taunts as she takes another of his tiles. “Just accept your fate.”

He gives her a small smile. He is determined to win this game. He has one play left to pull and victory will be his. He reaches down and his mouth hangs open in surprise. “Where is the white lotus tile!”

They hear a loud shocking gasp. Iroh who has been watching the game, pushes his way to the pai sho board. “We are missing a tile,” he exclaims as if it is the most devasting thing to have happen. Though in his eyes it is. “Lieutenant Jee, we must change our course. We need to stop at nearest port as soon as possible.”

“Yes sir, General Iroh.” Jee stands in attention and goes to let the helmsman at the wheel about their change in course. The ship tilts starboard as they set a new course to a port village in the Earth Kingdom. Jee looks back at Umi who is grinning wildly, “We will finish this game tonight, Master Umi.”

“You better prepare for the thrilling conversation you are going to have, loser.”

Iroh looks at the two competitors, tilting his head to Umi. “What is the outcome of losing the game, Master Umi?”

Still smiling, she tells Iroh the truth much to the shock and outburst of the rest of the crew, “Loser has to sit with your nephew for a whole hour.”

Jee and the crew hold their breath waiting for the General’s reaction.

Iroh then starts to laugh. “I do not pity the one who will suffer through that. Come Master Umi, we must practice so you can win.”

She takes her seat in front of him and restarts the board. Iroh shows her some maneuvers she never even thought about. He is a master of this game and with his teachings, she is going to win tonight’s game.

They pause their game so Umi can get a drink of water. There is a table by the wall with a pitcher of water and some glasses. Shang, the guard she has befriended, pours a glass for her and hands it to her. He doesn’t have his helmet today. Umi takes a good look at him. He is older than her, maybe five years her senior. There will be no mistaking his Fire Nation heritage. His eyes are the same colors as Umi, a bright golden color. His hair is darker than hers, more resembling the norm of the Fire Nation natives. It is straight and black. It is styled in a top knot, a few strands lining his face making his features stand out. She won’t lie and say she doesn’t find him appealing. She has caught him flirting with her a few times and she indulged him and flirted back. In her defense, she hasn’t been with someone since Shun and a certain royal isn’t giving her the time of day. Not that she expects him to. It’s a one sided affection between her and Zuko. Not wanting another heartbreak, she looks to other options.

“You’re playing good, Umi. You’re definitely going to win,” Shang tells her, giving her a dazzling smile.

“Thanks for your support, Shang,” she takes the glass from his hand and brings the glass to the lips. She lets a small drop leak out and go drop down her bottom lip down along her chin. She knows exactly what she is doing. She catches his gaze lingering on her lip.

“So Master Umi,” he starts. “We’re going to be docked for a while. You know how the General gets when it comes to pai sho. Do you want to grab dinner or something? We can go to a bar if you want. Either is fine. I mean only if you want to go with me. To dinner. Or a bar,” he rambles on.

She is about to give him an answer when Zuko suddenly storms in the bridge.

“He has the worst timing doesn’t he,” she tells Shang. He lets out a small chuckle, earning a glare from Zuko.

He first sees Umi and Shang standing by the table. He tries to ignore the jealously creeping on him when he sees Shang refill her glass. Instead he changes his attention to Iroh and Jee.

“What is the meaning of this mutiny? No one told you to change course,” he bellowed out.

“Mutiny? Such a drama queen,” Umi whispers to Shang. He doesn’t contain his laugh. It comes out louder than he liked. He is worried Zuko heard him but that worry vanishes when he hears Umi laughing with him. Zuko turns to glare at the two but they don’t see him. They are grinning at each other, completely oblivious of his stare.

Iroh speaks up from where he is still sitting, “Actually someone did. I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko.”

“Is it something to do with the Avatar,” he says excitedly

“Even more urgent. It seems I’ve lost my lotus tile.”

Zuko stares at him in surprise. “Lotus tile?”

“For my pai sho game. Most people think the lotus tile is insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ. One I must teach Master Umi if she wants a chance to win against Lieutenant Jee.

Zuko is livid. “You’ve changed out course for a stupid lotus tile?”

Zuko lets his anger explode. Some of it due to his uncle’s obsession with pai sho but most it because of Umi and Shang. He lets out a breath of fire to the ceiling, causing the bridge to be filled with smoke.

Umi starts to cough from the smoke and Shang places a hand on her back and guides her out the bridge.

“You okay,” he asks worriedly when the reach the safety of the hall.

She coughs a few more times until her breathing becomes normal. She knows she could’ve just directed the smoke away but then she felt his hand on her back. Since Shun, she hasn’t felt a comforting hand on her like that. She craved that kind of touch. His hand is still on her back and she won’t deny she likes it. So what the hell right? “I’m okay. Thanks for getting us out of there.”

Zuko stomps out the room wanting to get away from his uncle. He stops in his tracks when he sees Shang and Umi. His stares turns to a glare when he sees Shang’s hand on Umi.

“Petty Officer Shang,” he says to grab Shang’s attention. His voice breaks a little. “You are still on shift. Return to your post.”

Shang lets Umi go and straightens his back and stands in position. “Yes sir, Prince Zuko.”

He is about to leave when Umi grabs his arm, “Yes to dinner. I’ll meet you on the deck.”

He smiles down at her like a lovestruck puppy. “It’s a date. I mean not a date. Just food. Today. Not a date.”

“You’re adorable. I’ll see you later, okay.”

Shang gives her one more smile and leaves, leaving Zuko and Umi alone.

The tension is overwhelming.

“You’re dating one of my officers,” Zuko sneers.

“No, Prince Zuko. I’m going out for food with a friend. Same as I did with you. Or did you count that a date?”

He keeps glaring at her and regrettably says, “Please, like I would give you the time of day, drunk.”

She glares back, trying to mask the hurt in her eyes. “Good. Glad we are on the same page then. Now, go to the deck and perform the second set of the basics. I will meet you there, Prince Zuko.”

She turns and walks away from him.

“ _That idiot, stupid, hotheaded asshole. So what if it was a date. I’m not going to wait like an idiot for him to notice me,”_ she thinks to herself. She can feel herself getting hotter. She goes to her room and grabs a bottle of liquor. She downs half of it’s contents and pours the remaining in her flask. She is going to need it if she is going to train Zuko.

She goes to the deck and meet with her pupil. Surprisingly he is there, performing the techniques she instructed him to do. She takes another swing from her flask and places it on the table against the wall.

“Okay,” she starts, grabbing his attention. “For today’s lesson we are going to spar.”

She undresses until she is standing only in her training pants and her sarashi wrap. She moves to stand in front of him and readies in her a firebending stance. “Do the first set of basics, then the second. Combine the two and you’ll form the first set of intermediate moves. Control your breathing and chi and remember to direct your flames at your target and not your surrounding areas. Remember the key of firebending is control.”

Zuko moves first. He sends two fire blasts at her before kicking a flame towards her feet to trip her. Umi sidesteps the first blast and the sends the second one back to him while jumping away from the flame aimed at her legs. While Zuko is focused on the incoming flame he doesn’t notice Umi sending her own kick to him. She sends one to his waist and then drops down and sends a low sharp flame to his feet. Zuko gets hit by both.

“Be aware of your surroundings. Feel the heat around you.”

He jumps to his feet and performs the first move she shown him. He sends two blast fire at her and they merge into one. It turns to large fire ball and heads straight to her. She lets it hit her to feel the strength of his fire.

“Excellent control, Zuko,” she praises him. “You joined two basic techniques to create a move from the second set of intermediate. Nicely done.”

She sends three fire blasts at him, two of them splitting while one goes to him at a faster speed. He disperses the middle one but doesn’t have enough time to dodge other two blasts.

“You didn’t feel the heat. You need to be aware at all times, Zuko.”

Zuko is panting. He tries to copy her move but it’s slower. She blocks both expertly. He lets out a roar of fire and sends blast after blast to her.

“Zuko, you are losing control,” she yells at him as she deflects each blow.

Umi meets each of his attack with own. She is getting frustrated at his lack of restrain. She is trying hard to keep herself in control. He doesn’t stop his assault. He sends multiple kicks at her and fire blasts at her. She pulls up a wall of fire to stop them. One gets through and hits her on her chest. She is sent flying back. She takes the time to see her surroundings. Zuko’s flames are everywhere. She sees one crew member patting out a small fire on his shirt. She stands up to glare at Zuko who still hasn’t stopped his rapid bursts of flames. He is angry that his move is weak. He is angry that each attack he throws barely touches her. He is angry at Shang.

“ENOUGH,” Umi yells. She sends out a blast of fire to him and it circles around him. Zuko tries to step forward away from the circle of flames around him but it follows him. Something about the way Umi is bending surprises Zuko. He isn’t familiar with the style, but then again he isn’t a Master. Truthfully, he doesn’t think he has ever seen another fire bender doing anything remotely close to what she is doing, not even his Uncle. The fire seems to pull him towards hers. The way she bending is as if she is pulling the fire to her. It’s a beautiful form of bending. He wonders if this is what earned her the title of Master. The fire pulls him until he is standing in front of her

“Zuko. You did an excellent job copying my form. Do not be ashamed it was weaker,” she lectures, disappointment all in her voice. “Your faults today is that you were not aware of your surroundings and you were not in control. You let your fire take the reins and it caused the deck to be a victim as well as one of your crewmates. So tomorrow, we will practice control again. You are not yet prepared for further advancement. Tonight, at midnight, meet me back on deck. Without the Sun present to fuel your strength, you will need to rely on your chi and inner fire.”

Zuko is still angry and now feels humiliated as Umi pointed out his mistakes even if that is her job.

“Aren’t you going to be tired after your little date,” he spits.

She glares at him, “Prince Zuko, you are my student. Your lessons will not be affected by my personal life.”

She glares at him for a second then leaves him. She picks up her flask and chugs the rest of it before heading back inside.

Zuko watches her leave. He knows he overstep. And now she is using his formal title instead of his name. He hates it when she does that.

“Nice going, Zuko,” he mutters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading! It truly means a lot!
> 
> I posted my first Harry Potter fic. Hermione/Draco.   
> I really like it and I hope you do as well. 
> 
> Again, thank you for reading!!


	12. Chapter 12

They arrived at the small port village about two hours later. Umi spent her time in her room, trying to forget Zuko’s attitude. She is surprised their sparring match didn’t turn deadly as it would normally get. She felt her chi grow during their training session, but not enough for it to erupt. She can’t help but think it’s because of her “not date” with Shang. She run into him about 30 minutes prior. She saw him running from the crew quarters to the shower in a comedic rush all while with a hair brush in his mouth. She can hear the other crewmates tease him. Snickering comments about their “not date”. It was adorable.

Zuko during all this was fuming. He has tried to think of different ways to keep Shang on duty but Iroh kept distracting him. He heard the comments throughout the ship about Shang and Umi’s date. He was surprised to hear Umi got along with his crew. He didn’t know she became a friendly face among them. He was in the mess hall when he heard a table taking bets if the date would be failure. He tried to ignore the comments made rooting for their relationship. He wasn’t going to at first but after seeing Shang dressed in civilian clothing, Zuko instantly went to his wardrobe and dressed himself in his finest armor. He stood at the deck under the guise of inspecting the crew on deck duty.

He sees Shang first.

“ _When did he find the time to get flowers,”_ he angrily thinks to himself, sending a nasty glare at the Petty Officer.

Shang was dressed well, obviously dressed to impress. He searched his wardrobe for the finest robes he owned. He was wearing average black pants accompanied with gold trimmed dark red boots. His friends advised him to show off his greatest asset. It was funny to see his friends gushing over his date. They all knew about his crush on the firebending master. Siding with their advice, he decided to wear a sleeveless gold trimmed dark red tunic to show off his fine toned arms.

“Show off,” Zuko mutters, still glaring at Shang. “Doesn’t even look proportional.”

He didn’t notice Umi at first. And when he did his jaw dropped to the floor.

She was a goddess. She wore a form fitting sleeved red wine dress, falling just barely touching the floor. There was slit on the right side reaching her knee showing off her long black boots. The dress had a gold trim around her waist leading up the middle of her chest and lining a modest neckline. Well almost modest. The neckline showed some cleavage, but not much too revealing. She completed the look with a dark red sash around her waist further showing off her curves. She was unsure if she should have her hair up or down. In the end she let it out down. Her long wavy dark brown hair cascading to her back.

She locked eyes with Zuko for just a second before he looked away. She could’ve sworn she saw a flicker of admiration.

“You look beautiful,” Shang gasped. “I mean you look great. Not that you’re not beautiful because you are…Nice dress?”

She gave him a smile, chuckling at his awkwardness. “You don’t look bad yourself, Shang.”

He didn’t stop grinning. Remembering the flowers, he raises his arm too quickly and some of the petals brushed against Umi’s nose. “I got you flowers,” he blurted out.

Zuko had enough. Yes, he could’ve just left. He knew that. He didn’t have to stay and be forced to listen to Shang’s attempt at flirting or hearing Umi’s laugh. He adjusted his pristine armor, making sure it fit in all the right places and then stomped his way to the pair, each step getting heavier, until he was face to face with the couple.

“Uhm, Zuko,” Umi asks confusedly.

Zuko ears perk up and exhales the breath he has been keeping inside way too long. He wants to say she looks amazing. He wants to talk about training. He wants to do anything if it keeps her away from Shang. He stares intensely at Umi, holding his breath until he starts to get red. Now that he is in front of her, everything he thought about saying vanished.

Instead, the 16 year old announced _very_ loudly, “I’m wearing armor.”

“Yes, I can clearly see that, Prince Zuko,” she responds more confused than before. She takes a glance to Shang, whose shoulders just rose up quickly in shrug letting her know he was just as confused as she was.

_“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! ‘I have armor.’ What’s wrong with me,”_ he mentally face palms. His cheeks flush from that embarrassing interaction. Shang suddenly lets out a small cough gaining Zuko’s attention. The embarrassment turned to jealous pettiness.

“Petty Officer,” he greets, sending Shang the most the deadliest stare in his arsenal. “Your choice of clothing is not military regulated. It does not represent the Fire Nation Navy.”

Umi rolls her eyes. She wants to throw him overboard with his obvious jealously. “He does looks rather dashing like this though,” she says to Zuko while looking up at Shang who now had a very flustered face. She locks her arm around Shang’s, “Come on, handsome. I didn’t get dolled up just to stand on deck.”

They walk pass a fuming Zuko and as they get close to the draw bridge Zuko yells out, “Master Umi, don’t forget we are meeting in my _quarters_ tonight.”

He smiles at himself, proud of that hidden comment. His smile drops when Umi replies.

“Don’t be a pig, Zuko!”

Zuko loudly groans, gaining a few glances from the crew.

“NOTHING TO SEE HERE. GET BACK TO WORK,” he yells at them.

He takes one more glance at the Shang and Umi, sending another glare their way. He walks back inside towards his room when he hears more of his crew talking about Umi and Shang.

“Five cooper he chickens out,” a voice says from inside the crew quarters.

“No! It took him ages to just talk to her,” another voice says.

Zuko stays hidden by the wall to hear them. He is half ready to go inside and tell them go back to work.

“Did you see Master Umi? NO girl dresses like that unless they like a guy!”

“Okay, _ten_ copper that he asks her to be his girlfriend!”

“I’m surprised they’re not already together. They are constantly laughing together that it’s making me sick.”

“He’s so in love with her.”

Zuko loses his balance at hearing that. He falls towards the door. It is barely open so when he falls, he trips over the threshold and falls inside the room. The crew immediately becomes silent. It’s obvious the Prince has been eavesdropping. Zuko jumps to his feet, his face reddening.

“GE—GET BACK TO WORK,” he fumbles in his words that it barely sounds like an order.

“We are off duty, sir,” one of them states. His crewmates flash him a widen terrified stare knowing full well that Zuko is going to explode.

“Well, now you’re back on duty!”

Zuko leaves the room in his signature stomp and scowl.

“Twenty cooper _he_ admits his feelings to Umi.”

.

.

“So where are we going,” Umi asks.

Shang shyly looks at her as if is unsure to tell her. “I uhm…ordered some food to go. It’s not always we get to dock and I thought we can eat near the lake here.”

Okay, maybe this is a date. Not that she minds.

“But I know you got so dressed up so I understand if you don’t want to sit on grass,” he quietly tells her.

She pats his arm and smiles at him. “Nonsense! We can always walk and flaunt after we eat.”

Shang feels like he is flying. He takes her hand and guides her to one of the restaurants near the center of town. Umi noticed how fancy it is and starts to feel bad that he is spending so much money on her.

“Wait here. The food is already packed and paid. I just need to get it. I’ll be quick,” he squeezes her hand and goes inside the restaurant. 

Umi stands there, shifting her balance from one leg to another. Her mind starts to think back to Shun but she quickly dismisses the thought. She doesn’t have to think about him right now. She doesn’t want to drink while she is with Shang. She looks down at her dress, a little shy at her choice of clothing. She wasn’t originally going to dress like this. She was just going to wear a simple tunic and pants, but she decided at the last minute to dress up. She was excited for her dinner with Shang. He claims it is not a date, but it clearly is.

A few minutes pass by before Shang returns back with a woven picnic basket and a bottle of signature Fire Nation wine. His friend, Bo, recommended to go with a picnic date idea, claiming it makes a first date more personal since there won’t be a crowd surrounding them. 

The walk to the lake isn’t long considering the size of the town. Nothing eventful happens during their walk. They exchange few words, just small talk really. Nothing really happens until they reach the main street of the town that divides the town from the docks and entrance of the town. Shang sees them first. Two Water Tribe kids and one bold kid with tattoos. He nudges Umi with his elbow to get her attention.

“What,” she asks him,

He nods his head the direction of the trio. “Avatar and his friends.”

_“Fuck”_

Umi quickly consider her options. She spots a few, maybe 6 potential witnesses. She will need to be quick. She needs to subdue Shang, possibly even kill him, and then find a way to get the attention of the Avatar and his companions all while evading Zuko and the 50 or so Fire Nation soldiers stationed here . She moves her hand to her thigh slowly. She always carries a dagger with her just for this type of emergencies. She didn’t expect to jump ship and declare herself as a public traitor so early in her mission. She is about to grip the handle when Shang speaks.

“This is the first time I see him so close. Man, what I wouldn’t do to ask him about his past lives, especially Avatar Yangchin!”

Umi drops her mouth. She fingers her ear, not trusting what she is hearing. “Come again?”

“Avatar Yangchin is my favorite incarnation! I have so many scrolls and tomes about her feats. Avatar Kyoshi is my second favorite,” he says excitedly. He looks down at Umi, mistaking her facial expression. “I know. Avatar Roku is on my top ten, but not my top three. Anyways, we better get to the lake before our food gets cold.”

There are so many questions she wants to ask. She also was worried if she did nothing he would expose her as a traitor. She can’t have that.

“We need to inform Prince Zuko,” she tells him in a calm voice, waiting for his response to gauge her next move.

Shang flashes her a smile, “He’ll find out on his own. Come on, let’s go.”

His hand finds her again and she is pulled out the town gate and towards the small lake. It isn’t grand like the previous lakes she has seen, but it’s nice. Shang and Umi find a spot close to the shore and he pulls out a red blanket and sets it down. He sits down and pats the spot next to him. Umi looks back to where they last seen Aang and his friends. Shang takes notice of her distraction.

“Hey, Aang is going to be alright. I know you’re worried, but he’ll be fine,” he assures her.

He knows something. Umi narrows her eyes at him. She goes over her options. She can kill him and they’re far enough from the ship and the population for the kill to go unnoticed. She can hide him in the nearby forest. But she will need to find good explanation to tell Zuko about Shang’s disappearance. Then she will have to make sure they leave right after in case a villager discovers Shang’s body. Or she can go straight to Zuko and let him know about Shang’s comments about Aang and that he is here but that risks putting Aang and his friends’ lives in danger.

“Umi,” Shang says softly to grab her attention. “Hey, it’s okay. I know.”

She watches him as pulls something from his pocket. She takes a loud inhale when he opens his hand and sitting on palm is a pai sho tile.

“Who knocks at the guarded gate?”

Her eyes widen. Today is just full of surprises. “One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries.”

She takes her seat next to him. There are so many things she wants to ask.

“Does Iroh know?”

He looks at her confused. “No, I didn’t know he was a member.”

“Yeah, he’s a Grand Lotus.”

Shang raises his eyebrows. He pushes his shoulder back and slightly tilts his head upwards. “Well, I’ll be,” he expresses in wonder. He looks back to Umi and continues, “I’m not that high up. I’m a just a sentry. I get my orders from messenger hawks. I had a feeling you were part of the order so I took the chance.”

“Wait, you took the tile back in the ship!”

“Sure did. I knew General Iroh was going to stop somewhere to get a replacement. It provided the perfect opportunity to speak with you.”

Umi drops her shoulder, her insecurity bubbling up. “So all of this,” she gestures to the food and her clothing. “Was all just a ruse to talk to me?”

“No! Sprits no! I mean, it was an added bonus. Umi, I wanted to take you out. For a while now.”

“Really,” she asks, her voice a little too high from the surprise. “But how did you think I was part of the order? It’s not like my actions scream it out.”

“I don’t think you remember but we actually met before.”

Umi thinks back to her memories. Sure she has met a few Fire Nation Navy and Army members, but none she exposed herself to, at least none that haven’t already deserted. “When?”

“About eight months ago. I met you and Shun’s group near Ba Sing Se. I was helping you guide some refugees out one of the occupied towns”

Shun.

The memories of her former love come back to her. She reaches for the wine bottle and doesn’t even bother pouring it.

“Umi,” Shang whispers. “I am so sorry about Shun.”

She takes another large gulp of the wine. “Thank you.”

“Did the others—”

“No,” she cuts him off. “So, you helped us with some refugees? I don’t remember any active personal helping us out.”

“I was on leave on bereavement. My grandmother lived in that town and then I heard of a resistance group helping take people out of the town to Ba Sing Se. None of the soldiers there knew who I was so it provided the perfect chance to lend my hand, be more involved than just sending coded memos.”

“Coded memos? You’re one of the spies?”

“Yeah, which is what I requested to be stationed on Zuko’s ship. He was one of the only few ones that were actively looking for the Avatar and the most devoted considering his banishment.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. The last thing she expected was an Officer being involved with the resistance.

“Umi, there is one thing I can’t understand,” he starts.

“Yeah? What’s that?”

He takes a good look at her, unsure how to proceed with his question. “A lot of us don’t understand why you are training him.”

She lets a pained sigh, raising her shoulders and dropping them dramatically. “How much do you know about Zuko and I?”

Shang was only stationed here three months before Umi arrived. He didn’t know much about Zuko and Umi’s shared past. He knew some of it, that she traveled with him for a year but that is it. He didn’t know the nature of their relationship. He didn’t know that Umi once brought the widest, most wholesome smile on Zuko’s face. She didn’t tell Shang any of that. It was own private memory, not just hers but Zuko’s as well. Not many can say they made the Prince smile.

Instead, she tells him that she did travel together for a year and both trained under Iroh. She left, became a Master, met some people, and then got the invite to instruct Zuko in the hopes of guiding him to a path of light.

“You really think he is going to give up chasing the Avatar,” Shang asks her. He’s is doubtful. Though he has only been on the ship for three months, he has personally seen how obsessive he can get. There have been numerous times his frustration gets misdirected to either Iroh or the crewmates, and now Umi gets the privilege of being on the same receiving end.

“That’s the goal. Until I see there is no hope, I will stay.”

All this new information caused them to ignore their food. Shang laid out the food on the blanket. Steamed dumplings, roast duck, and wagashi desserts. It was a mouthwatering sight.

“This looks amazing,” Umi praised. She dug right in, starting with the dumplings. “I never had dumplings like these before,” she says between bites.

“The host told me it’s a special recipe the chef has,” he takes a bite of his as well.

“So,” Umi says between bites. “Tell me about yourself. What tales does the great Shang have?”

Shang serves himself some of the roast duck and takes a bite. “I don’t have any great tales. My father is of Fire Nation and mother of Earth Kingdom. I grew up just outside of Yu Dao in a small Fire Nation colony. My father was an firebender and taught me everything I know. He served in the Navy and when I came of age, I enlisted too.”

“What made you join the resistance?”

“My cousin. He’s from my mother’s side and was an earthbender. He joined the Earth Kingdom army and he was helping some refugees. Fire Nation soldiers caught him. He didn’t make it,” he looks down, a small tear forming in his eyes. “We were close. My mother left my dad and went go live with her family. I haven’t seen her in four years. My dad died shortly after. His battalion was used as cannon fodder.”

Umi reaches for his hand, “I am so sorry, Shang.”

He squeezed her hand. “I knew from then on I had to take down the Crown so I found the resistance group and then I was discovered by my mentor in the White Lotus. I’m still only an apprentice. It’s hard to advance when we are so divided. I rose in ranks in the navy until I had access to classified documents. I get out as much as I can, but not often. Maybe weeks at a time.”

“Wow. I knew the resistance infiltrated the military but I never met a spy,” she tells him.

“What about you? What made you join the resistance and become a member?”

“I was held in a Fire Nation training camp since I was five until I escaped when I was 13. The training was…it was hard. I had to do things…forced to do things. I love my country, but this war needs to stop. I got a letter from my future mentor. Iroh mentioned me to him. I didn’t think twice. I left a year later to meet with my mentor and since then I have been a member. I just recently became a journeyman before I joined up with Iroh and Zuko. As for the resistance, I didn’t join until I met Shun.”

“I heard of the camp,” he looks at her with sympathetic understanding eyes. “I’m sorry you had to endure that.”

“Enough of these sad memories. What do you like to do for fun?!”

He gives a half smile, a little embarrassed. “I like poetry and history.”

“You need to recite me on of your poems! Please!”

He shakes his head, a tight smile on his lips. “Nope.”

“Oh come on! Just one little poem,” she begs.

“Okay, I’ll read to you on our next date.”

“Oh so this is a date,” Umi smirks. 

Shang’s face is red as the blanket. “No! I mean yes—if you want it to be. I want it to be a date.”

“Shang,” she laughs. “It’s a date. An amazing date and I would love to go on another one with you.”

She did. She hasn’t had this much fun in a long time. She can’t remember the last time someone took interest in her. There a few nameless men after Shun, but nothing deep enough to put a label on it. She didn’t remember their names. But Shang? Oh yes, she very much enjoyed being in his company.

The rest of their date went wonderfully. After getting out the painful memories, they started to talk about different types of training, weaponry, and planned what to do after the war. Shang wants to open a poetry club in the Fire Nation and reconnect with his mother. Umi wants to return to her travels. She loved exploring and meeting people. She wants to visit all the Avatar temples, visit both Water Tribes, and the Air Temples.

They were close to the end of their date. Neither of them wanted it to stop, but Shang’s shift was starting soon.

“I had a great time, Umi,” he tells her.

Feeling his courage come up and not wanting it go to waste, he does something risky. He takes one of the flowers he gave her. He weaved it in hair, the petals resting by her left ear. He backs away from Umi to look in her eyes. “Umi,” he sweetly says her name.

“Yes, Shang?”

He takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. “Can I kiss you?”

She doesn’t say anything. It took her off guard. She didn’t expect to kiss him. She wanted to, but she thought of Shun and then of Zuko. It was all too much to handle. But what the hell. Shang is about to pull away from her, taking her silence as rejection. She catches his arm and leans towards him.

She leans towards him and he does the same. They are so close Shang smells the bitter smell of the wine on her breath. Just when their lips are about to meet, they hear an annoyed cough behind them.

“Master Umi, get up. We found the Avatar,” Zuko tells her, void of emotion. “Petty Officer, your shift is about to start. I suggest you go your post now.”

Shang immediately stands at attention, like the perfect soldier. “Yes sir, Prince Zuko.” He bends over to pack up their picnic when Zuko grunts.

“Leave the trash. Someone will pick up this tacky shit,” he spat, looking directly at Umi.

She starts to feel the heat in her rise. The ground starts to heat up and Shang feels it under his boots. She grabs the unfinished bottle and downs it in one gulp. She lasted the entire date without feeling her chi slip. She didn’t even feel it pulse. She starts to pack their things, much to Zuko’s annoyance. She didn’t care what he felt. This was a special day for her.

“Master U—” Shang is about bid her goodbye when Zuko cuts him.

“LEAVE,” Zuko screams at Shang, hints of smoke rising from his shoulder.

Umi already finished packing before Zuko’s explosion. She stands up and gets next to Shang, “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

“Umi, I said the Avatar is here. You are needed with me,” he orders. There is an underline meaning to it. Umi notices it and another stab goes through her heart.

“You expect me to fight like this, Zuko? The dress is too tight for me to fight or do you want it torn to shreds with all the fire,” she yells at him, the forced respect going out the window. She is too angry to even pretend to respect him. She leaves him. She doesn’t turn back to look at him. Not even when she feels his stare burning holes on her back.

He wants to scream. He wants to incinerate Shang. He wants to pull Umi in his arms and make her forget about Shang. He wants to show her how softer his lips are. He wants her to feel the warmth of his arms instead. He wants her. He wants all of her. Most importantly, he wants her to have him.


End file.
